Egyptian FA call on FIFA to remove referee Francois Letexier from the World Cup

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has lodged a formal complaint with FIFA over the refereeing decisions in Egypt's dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in their FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.

The EFA is also understood to have requested that referee Francois Letexier be removed from officiating the remainder of the tournament following the controversial encounter in Atlanta.

Egypt's frustration comes after head coach Hossam Hassan described Letexier's performance as "unfair" and claimed the World Cup was "directed towards Argentina" after his side's elimination.

Argentina recovered from a difficult position by scoring three goals in just 13 minutes to avoid a shock exit and book a quarter-final meeting with Switzerland.

Egypt were ‘cheated’ in World Cup loss to Argentina, coach Hassan says

However, the match has since been overshadowed by a series of disputed officiating decisions.

Hassan believes Egypt should have been awarded a penalty shortly before Argentina's decisive late goal.

He argued that Julian Alvarez fouled Mohamed Salah inside the penalty area by catching his foot before winning the ball, with VAR reportedly not reviewing the incident.

Egypt also felt another penalty appeal was ignored when Alexis Mac Allister appeared to pull Hamdi Fathy inside the box, but play was allowed to continue.

Earlier in the match, Egypt had a goal from Zico ruled out after a VAR review determined that Lisandro Martinez had been fouled during the build-up.

In a statement released on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, the Egyptian FA said it "cannot remain silent regarding the refereeing decisions as well as the failure to make appropriate use of VAR."

"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."

"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.

"Egyptian football has always respected the principles of fair play, sporting integrity, and respect for the game.

"These same principles require that all teams compete on equal terms and receive equal treatment.

What occurred during the match has understandably generated widespread frustration among our players, staff, and supporters, who expected the highest standards of officiating on football's biggest stage,” the statement added.

FKA/JE

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