The Round of 16 match between <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/argentina/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Argentina</a> and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/egypt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Egypt</a> was one of the most thrilling of the tournament, with Argentina coming back from 2-0 down to win 3-2. However, Egypt complained about referee <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/francois-letexier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">François Letexier</a>, who was defended by Pierluigi Collina as he detailed the controversial plays of the match on the official Inside FIFA website while reaffirming that referees are independent from <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/gianni-infantino/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Gianni Infantino</a>.



Collina said: “A foul is a foul, regardless of whether it seems obvious. If the referee did not see it on the field, the VAR can intervene. There is no defined limit regarding the distance from the goal, nor the amount of time that has passed between the incident and the goal.”



This explanation from the chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee referred to the disallowed goal scored by Mostafa Zico after VAR called Letexier to review the play in which Lisandro Martínez was stepped on by Marwan Attia near Egypt’s corner flag.



<h2>Collina on the final goal</h2>



Even after Zico had a goal disallowed, he scored again a few minutes later on a fantastic counterattack to put Egypt 2-0 ahead. Then the comeback began with a Cristian Romero header before Lionel Messi equalized.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2026/07/09215149/martinez-1-1920x1080.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-664637"><figcaption>Martínez was fouled on the other end of the field (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



The winning goal also generated controversy from Egypt’s perspective, as Mohamed Salah fell inside the penalty area when Julián Álvarez won the ball back from him in the move that ended with Enzo Fernández scoring the winner.


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Collina said: “Stepping on an opponent’s foot is a foul, whereas a defender who plays the ball first and then makes normal contact with the opponent does not commit a foul. The referee and the VAR considered it to be normal contact.”



Collina on possible influence from Infantino



There was plenty of frustration from Egypt after the elimination. Hossam Hassan was the main figure fueling the protests with his gestures toward the referee. It was not just the manager who delayed the match for a few minutes, as several members of the coaching staff were also yelling at Letexier. Collina responded to the claims that the competition had been influenced by Infantino.



Collina said: “No one can claim that FIFA’s refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even the FIFA president. He has always shown his full support, trusting us to work with complete independence. Referees make honest decisions and, just like players and coaches, they always strive to do their very best.”

Collina details the controversial plays in Argentina’s victory over Egypt as he claims referees are independent from Infantino

Collina details the controversial plays in Argentina’s victory over Egypt as he claims referees are independent from Infantino - World Soccer Talk

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While <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/egypt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Egypt</a> argued they had doubts about the referee before their match, it was <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/argentina/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Argentina</a> that had concerns as <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/francois-letexier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Francois Letexier</a> of <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/france/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">France</a> was assigned to officiate, with France being a direct rival. For the semifinal against <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/morocco/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Morocco</a>, the officiating crew will be led by Argentina’s Facundo Tello, which does not appear to be a concern for <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/didier-deschamps/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Didier Deschamps</a> based on his comments.



Deschamps said: “You can ask yourselves questions, but I won’t pay any attention to them. I hope the referee is just as good as Mr. Letexier and his assistants were in the match. My opponent is Morocco, not the referee. On the contrary, he’s there to enforce the rules of the game as fairly as possible.”



When everything pointed toward Argentina’s elimination after falling behind 2-0 against Egypt, Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez scored in a 14-minute span to complete a 3-2 comeback. However, much of the discussion after the match centered on referee Letexier.



<h2>Deschamps on Morocco</h2>



That wasn’t the only thing Deschamps said before the semifinal: “In every match there are situations that can go one way or the other. The complaints depend on which side you’re on. In some situations, a foul could have been called. This isn’t about revenge, what has already happened can’t be changed. We hope there are as few mistakes as possible from both sides.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2026/07/08154656/letexier-1920x1080.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-664337"><figcaption>Egypt complained about the referee after the match (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



While that may be the main topic of discussion, France still has an important semifinal against a tough Morocco side, which Deschamps said is very different from Paraguay.


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Deschamps said: “As for the match, Morocco are not the same team as Paraguay. We played against Morocco four years ago, and they reached the Africa Cup of Nations final. They have very good players. They’re a team that likes to keep possession and attack. They have great quality.”



<h2>Michael Olise’s yellow card</h2>



The controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun’s rescinded red card gave France hope of appealing Michael Olise’s yellow card, which he received against Paraguay during an altercation. Even if there were no clear grounds for it to be overturned, the Balogun decision raised the possibility.



The French Football Federation submitted an appeal because another yellow card would rule Olise out of the final if France defeats Morocco. Deschamps confirmed that FIFA rejected the request: “The situation with the yellow card hasn’t changed. We received a notification from FIFA this morning.”

‘I hope the referee is just as good as Letexier was’: Deschamps dismisses being assigned an Argentine referee against Morocco

‘I hope the referee is just as good as Letexier was’: Deschamps dismisses being assigned an Argentine referee against Morocco - World Soccer Talk

There were many dramatic matches in the Round of 16 of the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/world-cup/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2026 World Cup</a>, but none was more memorable than <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/argentina/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Argentina</a>’s 3-2 victory over <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tag/egypt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Egypt</a>, which left Hossam Hassan furious as the manager criticized referee Francois Letexier.



Hassan said: “I thought maybe he was hiding something, that perhaps he had something to conceal. People who have something to hide sometimes can’t keep it hidden completely, and that’s exactly how I felt during that conversation.”



His team let a two-goal lead slip in 14 minutes to be eliminated, with the winning goal coming in stoppage time. That led to Hassan’s explosive comments after the match as he claimed Letexier missed a foul before Enzo Fernandez’s goal, even making a gesture crossing his arms to show his frustration.



<h2>Hassan claims strange things occurred</h2>



In the buildup to Fernandez’s goal, there was a slight jersey pull by Alexis Mac Allister inside Argentina’s penalty area that Hassan believed should have resulted in a penalty: “There wasn’t even a VAR review. We all saw his jersey being pulled, but the play wasn’t reviewed to disallow the goal. That’s how life is: unfair.”



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img alt=""><figcaption>Letexier was the referee of the match (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



This wasn’t the manager’s only complaint about the referee. The match also featured a disallowed goal, with Hassan claiming there were several questionable decisions throughout the game.


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Hassan said: “The outcome was influenced by internal factors on the field and during the match, as well as external factors leading up to the game. It appeared that Argentina had put pressure on the referee, which contributed to this result. We had already expressed our concerns about that referee.”



<h2>Hassan on his protest after the match</h2>



Even though his team came close to eliminating a powerhouse like Argentina, Egypt left the tournament disappointed after leading for most of the match. The way it ended also led Hassan to take a personal stand in protest for the remainder of the competition.



Hassan said: “I won’t continue, and I promise you this: from the moment I return, I will not watch any more matches in this World Cup. This is my personal protest, my own objection, my way of making my voice heard and standing by my principles. I won’t watch a single match in this tournament.”

‘I thought maybe he was hiding something’: Hossam Hassan blasts Letexier after Egypt lose to Argentina

‘I thought maybe he was hiding something’: Hossam Hassan blasts Letexier after Egypt lose to Argentina - World Soccer Talk

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Collina details the controversial plays in Argentina’s victory over Egypt as he claims referees are independent from Infantino

World Cup

‘I hope the referee is just as good as Letexier was’: Deschamps dismisses being assigned an Argentine referee against Morocco

World Cup

‘I thought maybe he was hiding something’: Hossam Hassan blasts Letexier after Egypt lose to Argentina