Egypt FA criticises VAR after dramatic World Cup defeat by Argentina

July 8 : The Egyptian Football Association on Wednesday criticised refereeing decisions in Egypt's dramatic 3-2 World Cup round-of-16 defeat by Argentina, saying it would not remain silent over what it described as the improper use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.

Egypt appeared on course for one of the biggest upsets of the tournament when they led defending champions Argentina 2-0 with 11 minutes remaining on Tuesday, only to concede three late goals and crash out.

The EFA said several decisions during the game had directly affected the outcome.

"Several key incidents raised serious concerns and left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game," the federation said in a statement posted on social media.

"A number of football experts and specialist analysts, both locally and internationally, have highlighted controversial and influential refereeing incidents during the match.

"This underlines the importance of maintaining the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and transparency in match officiating, particularly in a competition of the stature and significance of the FIFA World Cup 2026."

Much of the controversy centred on a goal by Egypt's Mostafa Zico in the 62nd minute that would have doubled his side's lead. The goal was disallowed after a VAR review identified a foul by an Egyptian player in the buildup.

Egypt's frustration deepened late in the match when their appeals for a penalty after Hamdy Fathy went down under a challenge were waved away, before Argentina went upfield and scored the winner in the 92nd minute.

Coach Hossam Hassan and captain Mohamed Salah expressed their disappointment after the match, while several former players