Egypt’s national team manager Hossam Hassan isn’t being subtle about it. After his squad blew a 2-0 lead and lost 3-2 to Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16, Hassan went public with an accusation that would make even the most cynical sports fan raise an eyebrow: the match, he says, was deliberately tilted to keep Lionel Messi in the tournament.
His reasoning? Not tactical superiority. Not a collapse in fitness. Marketing. Hassan called the defeat “unjust” and claimed Egypt had been “cheated unfairly” due to what he described as “marketing support” for Argentina. In English: he’s saying FIFA wanted its biggest commercial draw to keep playing, and the referee made sure that happened.
The match and the meltdown
Egypt entered the Round of 16 matchup against Argentina looking like they had pulled off one of the tournament’s signature upsets, building a 2-0 advantage. What followed was a three-goal Argentine comeback that completed a 3-2 win, sending Egypt home and keeping Messi’s World Cup run alive.
Hassan directed his frustration squarely at French referee François Letexier. The Egyptian manager alleged a lack of fairness in the officiating, pointing to decisions he believed consistently favored Argentina throughout the second half of the match.
