Egypt forward Mostafa Ziko has voiced his frustration following his country’s dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, accusing the match officials of unfair officiating.
Egypt appeared on course for one of the biggest upsets of the tournament after racing into a 2-0 lead, only for Argentina to mount a stunning late comeback through Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernández to book a place in the quarter-finals.
Speaking after the match, an emotional Ziko claimed the referee’s decisions had gone against Egypt and suggested the contest had been unfairly influenced.
In his comments:
The referee is unfair, God is sufficient for me and the best disposer of affairs. He’s wasting the effort of an entire nation. The cup is being given to Argentina. They win the World Cup.
Softfootball understands that his comments came amid controversy surrounding several VAR interventions and key refereeing decisions during the closing stages of the match, which have since sparked widespread debate among supporters on social media.
While many Egyptian fans echoed Ziko’s frustrations and questioned the standard of officiating, others argued that Argentina’s late resurgence reflected the quality and resilience of the defending champions rather than bias from the officials.
The remarks have intensified discussions over the use of VAR and refereeing consistency at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with FIFA yet to comment publicly on the allegations.
Despite the disappointment of their elimination, Egypt earned praise for pushing the reigning world champions to the brink, while Argentina advanced to the quarter-finals in pursuit of a second consecutive World Cup title.
