Mostafa Zico did not hold back. Minutes after Egypt’s heartbreaking 3-2 round-of-16 loss to Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Pyramids FC forward went on live television and said what millions of Egyptian fans were already thinking: the game was rigged.
“The cup is being given to Argentina,” Zico said during the interview, his voice cracking with a mix of fury and disbelief.
What actually happened in Atlanta
The match, played on July 7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, saw Egypt race out to a 2-0 lead. Zico himself scored what would have been Egypt’s first goal, only to see it disallowed by VAR due to a foul called in the buildup. Zico then scored again, a goal that did count, helping Egypt build what looked like a comfortable cushion against the defending champions. Goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir even saved a penalty from Lionel Messi.
The disallowed goal looms largest in the post-mortem. Had it stood, Egypt would have been up 3-0 at one point, a margin that even Argentina’s late surge likely couldn’t have overcome. Instead, VAR intervened, the scoreline stayed at 2-0, and the door was left open just wide enough for the Albiceleste to walk through it.
