The Egyptian Football Federation (EFA) has officially filed a formal complaint to FIFA against French referee Francois Letexier and his complete officiating crew. The complaint follows Egypt’s dramatic 3-2 defeat against defending world champions Argentina in the Round of 16 at the Atlanta Stadium. The Egyptian FA has demanded an immediate investigation and called for the refereeing team to be barred from officiating any remaining games in the tournament.
Why did Egypt file a complaint against FIFA after the VAR decision vs Argentina?
The EFA released an extensive, official statement confirming that they will take all necessary legal actions to protect the team’s rights following major, questionable decisions made on the pitch. The primary point of anger centers on a disallowed goal in the second half by forward Mostafa Ziko when Egypt was leading the game. Referee Francois Letexier ruled the goal out after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervention spotted a controversial foul earlier in the move.
Furthermore, the Egyptian FA criticized the refereeing crew for failing to check a potential penalty and an apparent shirt-pull on midfielder Hamdy Fathy during the buildup to Enzo Fernandez’s 93rd-minute winning goal for Argentina.
The official statement reads:
“The Egyptian Football Federation expresses its deep displeasure with the refereeing performance in yesterday’s match led by the French referee, and some decisions related to the assistive video refereeing (VAR) technology, which have raised many question marks, especially amid widespread criticism from many media outlets and sports analysts of the performance.
The union emphasizes its adherence to the rights of the national team, and its keenness to undertake all the measures provided by the regulations to preserve justice and the integrity of the competition.”
How did EFA address the state and fans after FIFA World Cup 2026 exit?
Despite the heartbreaking World Cup exit, the EFA expressed pride in the squad’s performance and extended gratitude to the political leadership under President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for providing complete national support to the football program.
The federation stated:
“The Egyptian Football Federation, headed by Engineer Hani Abu Rida, extends its sincere thanks and appreciation to the Egyptian State under the leadership of His Excellency Mr. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, for the great and continuous support that the national team has received since the Board of Directors of the Federation took over the responsibility of managing the Egyptian football, and what the State institutions have provided from all forms of support and care. Believing in the importance of sport and its role in lifting Egypt’s name in various international concerts.
The Federation also extends its sincere thanks and appreciation to the Egyptian football fans inside and outside Egypt, and to the Arab and African fans who supported the national team throughout its journey to the 2026 World Cup, it also sends its greetings to the technical, administrative, medical staff and the players of the national team who gave honorable performances and reflected the spirit and determination of the Egyptian football, and were the best ambassadors For Egypt in the world’s largest globe concert.
 Even though the journey of the national team in the championship has ended, the pride in what our players have presented will remain, having shown commitment and fighting spirit that earned everyone’s respect, and presented an honorable image for Egyptian football.”
What are Egypt’s long-term plans for football development?
Moving past the immediate World Cup heartbreak, the Egyptian Federation concluded its official address by shifting focus toward building a competitive future infrastructure for the sport across the country.
“The Egyptian Football Federation emphasizes that what has been achieved in this tournament represents an important step in the development of Egyptian football, and that the next stage will see the continuation of work, in cooperation with state institutions, to implement a comprehensive national project for football development, expand the practice base, discover talents, and build new generations to continue to raise Egypt’s name in concerts Continental and International.”
