FIFA defends referee integrity after Egypt accuse World Cup officials of fixing Argentina clash

FIFA has pushed back against accusations of match-fixing from Egypt after Argentina overturned a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in their World Cup 2026 last-16 encounter, with chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina insisting that “nobody can question the integrity” of the tournament’s match officials.

Egypt had been on course for one of the competition’s biggest upsets before a series of contentious decisions swung the tie. A goal was controversially ruled out for Egypt in the closing stages, and the Egyptians were furious over a perceived foul in the build-up to Enzo Fernández’s winning strike that completed Argentina’s comeback.

The anger spilled over into the post-match reaction. Egypt winger Mostafa Ziko said outright that “this tournament has been fixed” and that French referee François Letexier “was really not fair.” Egypt manager Hossam Hassan went further, suggesting “there seems to have been pressure on the Argentinian side on the referee that has brought about this outcome.”

Collina addressed the controversy directly in an interview at the conclusion of the round-of-16 stage, acknowledging that imperfect decisions are inevitable across a high volume of matches while drawing a firm line at allegations of corruption.

“With such a high number of matches played in a relatively short period of time, it is normal that some things do not go as expected,” Collina said. “Constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport. Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials. When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right.”

Collina also addressed suggestions that FIFA president Gianni Infantino could exert influence over officiating, stating: “Nobody can claim that FIFA Refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA President. He has always shown his full support for FIFA Team One while trusting us to work with complete independence.”

The controversy leaves a bitter end to Egypt’s tournament, having come within minutes of eliminating the reigning champions before Argentina’s late revival ended their World Cup campaign.