SportFootballWorld Cup 2026Egypt fell to a dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup last-16 in Atlanta having been two goals ahead with a number of the referee’s decisions having since been criticised21:49, 07 Jul 2026Egypt star Mostafa Ziko has claimed that his nation's clash with Argentina was rigged, with the South American side lined up to win the tournament. The reigning world champions looked set to be heading out, having gone 2-0 behind in Atlanta.‌But they scored three unanswered goals late on to keep their dream of winning back-to-back World Cups alive. The game was blighted by controversy however.‌Egypt had a goal ruled out by VAR after an apparent foul on Nicolas Tagliafico earlier in the move, while they were also left furious by the decision not to award a penalty just moments before Argentina’s winning goal.‌Ziko, who scored his nation’s second goal, did not pull any punches with his assessment of the officials and claimed the game and the tournament are rigged in Argentina’s favour.He said: “The referee wasn’t good, he was unfair. His injustice was clear. He persecuted us from the start of the match. He doesn’t want us to win.“It was a rigged game. It wasn’t our fault. That referee… it seems like this match was rigged. We were winning 2-0, and he kept coming at us. Congratulations to Argentina on another World Cup, it seems.”‌He added: “At no point did we think the match was already decided. We knew we were facing the reigning world champions.“Even before the game started, we knew we would be facing a very strong team and one of the favourites for the title. But if they had won solely on their own merits it would have been very different for us.”‌It was not just Ziko who was left furious at the performance of the referees. Egypt boss Hossam Hassan also took aim after the full time whistle.He said: “We haven’t seen respect or fair play. A penalty was ruled out and a second (incident) that should have been checked for a penalty for us was not even checked by the VAR. A second goal was remarkably, for whatever reason, disallowed.“There seems to have been pressure on the Argentinian side on the referee that has brought about this outcome.‌“Life is unfair. The world is unfair. OK, but why isn’t there any fairness in sports? I’m not convinced by this outcome and by the way things unfolded in this match.“The referee is unfair, God is sufficient for me and the best disposer of affairs. He’s wasting the effort of an entire nation. The cup is directed towards Argentina.”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.Article continues belowChoose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌Hossam HassanWorld Cup 2026Argentina football teamEgypt football team