ATLANTA — Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has launched a scathing attack on the officiating during his side’s dramatic World Cup exit, claiming the Pharaohs suffered a gross “injustice” during their 3-2 defeat to Argentina.
The North African side threw away a two-goal lead on Tuesday night in Atlanta as the reigning world champions mounted a sensational second-half comeback. Superb strikes from Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi cancelled out Egypt’s early advantage before Enzo Fernandez struck deep into stoppage time to break Egyptian hearts.
A furious Hassan confronted French referee François Letexier at the final whistle, later suggesting the official had “something to hide.” The Egypt boss then declared he would boycott watching the rest of the tournament in protest.
‘No respect, no fair play’
“I think the effect of this outcome goes beyond the defeated seat. We haven’t seen respect nor fair play,” Hassan said through FIFA’s official translator during a heated post-match press conference.
“I’m not convinced with this outcome, with the way things unfolded in this match. We’ve been treated unfairly today. We’ve suffered injustice.”
The Pharaohs were left deeply aggrieved by two major refereeing decisions. With Egypt leading 2-0, a third goal was disallowed following a lengthy Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review. Later in the match, just moments before Argentina scored their injury-time winner on the counter-attack, the Egyptian bench reacted with fury when the referee waved away appeals for a penalty after captain Mohamed Salah was tripped inside the area.
Hassan hinted that the issues extended far beyond the 90 minutes on the pitch, adding: “There are a lot of things to be questioned on and off the pitch, negative aspects all around.”
Historic run ends in bitter fashion
Several Egyptian players echoed their manager’s frustration in the mixed zone, with some openly accusing the referee of bias towards the tournament favourites. FIFA has yet to issue a formal response to the allegations or indicate whether Hassan will face disciplinary action for his comments.
Despite the bitter exit, the tournament represents a historic milestone for Egypt. It was their first appearance at a World Cup finals since 2018, and their run to the Round of 16 marks the country’s best performance at the tournament since 1934.
However, that achievement has been completely overshadowed by the fallout in Atlanta, with Hassan insisting his World Cup is over. “I will not be watching any further matches at the tournament,” he concluded.
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