The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has officially requested that referee Francois Letexier and his entire officiating crew be removed from the World Cup following their controversial 3-2 loss to Argentina. In a strongly worded statement, the EFA said it “cannot remain silent” and has filed a formal complaint with FIFA, citing “serious refereeing mistakes” and “double standards” that they claim cost Egypt the match and eliminated them from the tournament.
EFA files complaint with FIFA
EFA president Hany Abou Rida submitted the complaint to FIFA, calling for an investigation into French referee Francois Letexier. The statement accused the officiating team of “blatant errors” and of “insisting” on not reviewing certain video footage. The EFA believes these mistakes, including a disallowed goal for Egypt in the 58th minute, directly led to their defeat. The goal was overturned after a VAR review determined that Marwan Attia had fouled Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez in the build-up.
“Defending the rights and interests of the Egyptian national team is not a matter that can be ignored, minimised, or treated as secondary,” the statement said. “It is a responsibility that we carry with full conviction and determination.”
Allegations of discrimination
The EFA’s complaint goes beyond mere errors, accusing the referees of “discrimination against the Egyptian national team.” They demand that Letexier and his crew be excluded from the remainder of the World Cup. The statement highlighted “several key incidents” that “raised serious concerns and left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game.”
The controversy was further fueled by Egypt coach Hossam Hassan, who after the match held his arms in an “X” shape to signal racial abuse. He later claimed his team was victimized by a soccer establishment that favored Lionel Messi and Argentina.
Match details and fallout
Egypt had taken a 2-0 lead with goals from Mostafa Ziko in the 67th minute, after their earlier disallowed goal. However, Argentina rallied with three consecutive goals, starting with Lionel Messi assisting Cristian Romero in the 79th minute. The winning goal came two minutes into stoppage time, sparking outrage from the Egyptian bench. Egypt’s goalkeeping coach Saafan Elsaghir was sent off, and several Egyptian players received yellow cards.
In the aftermath, Egyptian players and staff expressed deep frustration. Ziko said it was “clear that this tournament has been fixed,” while Hassan added, “Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running.” These conspiracy theories gained traction when FIFA announced that Argentina’s next match—France vs. Morocco in Boston—would be officiated by an all-Argentinian refereeing crew.
FIFA under scrutiny
The EFA’s complaint adds to growing scrutiny of officiating at the World Cup. The association stated that “a number of experts and analysts have defended Egypt, underlining the importance of integrity, fairness and transparency in officiating on soccer’s biggest stage.” They concluded: “Every player who wears the Egyptian shirt, and every supporter who stands behind the team, deserves fairness, respect, and equal application of the laws of the game.”
