FIFA Refereeing Chief rejects Egypt’s bias allegations

FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina has defended the integrity of World Cup match officials saying no one can question their honesty and that baseless allegations have no place in football.

His comments came after Egypt’s protests following its 3-2 quarter-final defeat to Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) had called for the match officials to be removed from the tournament and demanded an investigation into their decisions. Egyptian officials argued that two key second-half decisions went against their team allowing Argentina to recover from a two-goal deficit.

After the match, Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan claimed his team had been treated unfairly and suggested there may have been a desire to keep the defending champions or Lionel Messi in the tournament.

Collina dismissed those claims saying that while constructive debate over refereeing decisions is a normal part of football, unsupported accusations are unacceptable.

He added that such allegations often lead to threats against referees and their families which cannot be justified. Collina also stressed that FIFA referees operate independently and that not even FIFA President Gianni Infantino influences their decisions.

Meanwhile, FIFA has also faced criticism over its decision not to enforce the automatic suspension of Folarin Balogun who received a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

UEFA described the move as “extraordinary, incomprehensible and unjustified” while U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly asked FIFA to reconsider the decision.