Argentina produced a remarkable World Cup comeback against Egypt but fans were furious when VAR intervened to disallow Mostka Ziko's goal for a soft foul in the build-up19:41, 07 Jul 2026Argentina pulled off an incredible – yet controversial – comeback, spearheaded by Lionel Messi, in their FIFA World Cup round-of-16 tie with Egypt. The holders eventually overcame Egypt in Atalanta, but the outcome has led some supporters to allege FIFA was covertly manipulating proceedings to preserve one of its prized assets in the competition.‌With Argentina 1-0 down against Egypt following an early Messi penalty miss, Mohamed Salah threaded a pass to team-mate Mostka Ziko to hand the Pharaohs a stunning 2-0 second-half advantage. Following jubilant Egyptian celebrations, referee Francois Letexier was summoned by VAR to examine a possible foul in the build-up.‌After considerable protest from the Argentine players, La Albiceleste defender Lisandro Martinez was deemed to have been unlawfully brought down in the build-up. The offence, though, occurred more than 20 seconds before Ziko fired past goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. Ultimately, Argentina battled back and sensationally won 3-2.‌VAR has dominated the conversation at the 2026 World Cup. US forward Folarin Balogun was contentiously shown a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina after a fairly innocuous collision.Balogun's one-match red-card ban was eventually suspended and downgraded to merely a fine.Get the latest World Cup 2026 news in your inbox with our Make Football Great Again newsletter‌Egypt and Ziko eventually netted their second goal six minutes later, but it followed a torrent of hostile responses online, especially on X."This tournament is rigged. Corruption at display, robbing Egypt of the goal," one fan said. "Rigged like always," another wrote."The World Cup is rigged for Messi," one tweeted. Moments later, Messi struck a stunning volley to draw Argentina level at 2-2, capping a remarkable late fightback.‌JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! Latest news, analysis and much more on Mirror Football's Facebook pageHad Ziko's opening goal stood, Egypt would have stayed ahead. Shortly afterwards, Enzo Fernandez powered home a stoppage-time header to seal a 3-2 victory for Argentina in what ranks among the most extraordinary World Cup comebacks in history.‌Experienced journalists challenged the use of VAR in disallowing Ziko's strike, questioning both the interpretation of the laws and whether the technology should have been deployed in such circumstances."Egypt disallowed goal: It's allowed under VAR rules, but tech in football was never meant for that - to wind back the play so long to review a softer tackle at the other end of the pitch, not directly in the final phase of the counterattack," posted Sky Sports reporter Rob Harris."Egypt's disallowed goal was completely against how this tournament has been refereed," wrote BBC reporter Dale Johnson. "You can't have a light touch where you don't give fouls for minimal contact and then rule out a goal through VAR for a very minimal hold of the shirt.Article continues below"If VAR had gone any further back in that Egyptian move Tutankhamun would be involved. How far do you go back? Probably right decision but what a pity, what a goal that would have been. 80 yards, majestic move, precise passing, would have been one of the goals of the tournament," joked reporter Henry Winter.Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.Content cannot be displayed without consent