There were many dramatic matches in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, but none was more memorable than Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Egypt, 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.
Hassan claims strange things occurred
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.”
Letexier was the referee of the match (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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.”
Hassan on his protest after the match
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.”
