Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Egypt in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round-of-16 tie on Tuesday sparked widespread criticism of the officiating, with fans, pundits and former players questioning a number of refereeing decisions that they claimed favoured the defending champions.
While Lionel Messi’s side advanced to the quarter-finals after edging out a spirited Egyptian team, much of the post-match discussion on social media platform X centred on allegations of inconsistent use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system and perceived bias against the African side.
The controversy intensified after Egypt had a goal ruled out following a VAR review for a foul in the build-up, while several similar incidents involving Argentina were not reviewed. Critics also pointed to an apparent foul on Mohamed Salah that went unpunished, arguing that comparable situations were treated differently during the match.
Reaction on X was immediate and fierce.
“Egypt was robbed here VAR went for a coffee breaking leading to Argentina 3:2,” one user wrote.
