Match officials from Argentina's dramatic FIFA World Cup 2026 victory over Egypt have come under intense scrutiny following a series of contentious decisions that sparked protests from the Egyptian camp. French referee Francois Letexier and his officiating team are at the centre of the controversy after Argentina overturned a two-goal deficit to secure a remarkable comeback win on Tuesday.
Egypt looked poised to pull off a famous result after racing into a 2-0 lead. Argentina's revival began in the 79th minute, with Lionel Messi inspiring the turnaround by scoring once and creating another goal before Enzo Fernandez struck the winner in stoppage time. The closing stages, however, were overshadowed by disputed officiating decisions, including an Egyptian goal that was ruled out after a VAR review and a penalty appeal that was not examined during the buildup to Argentina's decisive goal.
According to Spanish publication Diario AS, the Egyptian Football Federation (EFF) has submitted a formal protest to FIFA over the performance of referee Francois Letexier. The report said Hany Abo Rida, president of the Egypt Football Association, has filed an official complaint against the French referee and his officiating team.
The report added that Egypt's complaint seeks an investigation into what the federation believes were controversial decisions that disadvantaged the Pharaohs. It also said the EFF has formally requested that the French officiating team be removed from the remainder of the tournament, arguing that critical mistakes influenced the outcome of the match.
Meanwhile, French newspaper L'Equipe reported that Letexier's display is set to undergo an assessment. According to the report, the referee's performance "will be reviewed, and FIFA's refereeing officials will decide, based on his technical performance, the officials' reports, and the disputed video footage, whether he will continue in this World Cup."
The same report noted that Egypt's complaint is unlikely to determine future referee appointments because a country or member association "cannot exercise a veto over the appointment of the refereeing body, which falls under the purview of the FIFA Referees Committee."
There have been similar protests at previous FIFA World Cups, although they have not led to referees being formally removed from a tournament. One notable example came in 2002, when Italy objected to the performance of Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno following its Round of 16 defeat to South Korea by a 2-1 scoreline. Moreno awarded 15 minutes of added time in that match, and Italy was eliminated. He did not officiate another game at that World Cup, though FIFA never officially stated whether that decision was connected to Italy's complaint.
Letexier previously took charge of the Euro 2024 final between Spain and England. He has also been recognised as the world's best referee by the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics).
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