Egypt coach slams refereeing after Argentina loss

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has strongly criticized the refereeing following his team’s controversial defeat to Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals saying he no longer intends to watch the remainder of the tournament.

Egypt held a 2-0 lead until the 79th minute but Argentina staged a dramatic comeback by scoring three late goals to secure victory.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Hassan claimed his team had been treated unfairly. He said Egypt was denied a clear penalty while Mostafa Zico’s goal was ruled out after a VAR review for reasons he could not understand.

He acknowledged that his team made some defensive mistakes but insisted the decisive errors came from the match officials, who, in his view, failed to give Egypt the decisions it deserved.

Hassan praised his players for executing the game plan effectively and putting in a tremendous effort. He also expressed pride that most of Egypt’s squad consisted of players from the domestic league yet they still managed to compete strongly against an Argentina side filled with Europe-based stars.