Why the Pharaohs of Egypt Goal Against Argentina Was Cancelled by VAR
- Video Assistant Referee ruled out a goal scored by Egypt during their Round of 16 encounter
- Referee Francois Letexier called for several replays as the Pharaohs failed to progress to the quarterfinal
- The North African side later restored their lead before Argentina staged a dramatic fightback with two late goals to level the match
North African giants Egypt missed out on a historic place in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after suffering a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to defending champions Argentina in their Round of 16 clash on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
The Pharaohs made the perfect start, taking the lead in the 15th minute when defender Yasser Ibrahim powered home a header from a well-delivered set piece.
Moments later, goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir produced a huge moment, diving low to deny Lionel Messi from the penalty spot and preserve Egypt's advantage.
Source: Getty Images
Egypt doubled their lead in the 67th minute through Mostafa Zico, leaving the reigning world champions on the brink of elimination.
Argentina responded immediately as Cristian Romero pulled one back in the 79th minute with a close-range header before Messi redeemed himself four minutes later, firing a half-volley from Lautaro Martinez's knock-back. Shobeir managed to get a hand to the effort, but the ball ricocheted off the crossbar and crossed the line.
With extra time looming, Argentina completed a dramatic comeback in stoppage time. Martinez delivered a pinpoint cross to the back post, where Enzo Fernandez directed a looping header across goal and into the far corner to seal a thrilling 3-2 victory and send La Albiceleste into the quarter-finals, per BBC.
Why VAR overruled Egypt's goal
Egypt believed they had taken a commanding 2-0 lead over defending champions Argentina in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash, only for VAR to intervene and overturn the goal.
The move began with a dazzling run from Haissem Hassan, who drove forward before finding Mohamed Salah. The Liverpool star quickly slipped a pass into the path of Mostafa Ziko, who calmly slotted past Emiliano Martínez to spark wild celebrations among the Egyptian players and supporters.
However, the celebrations proved short-lived as French referee Francois Letexier was advised by the Video Assistant Referee to review the build-up on the pitchside monitor.
After watching the replay, Letexier ruled that Marwan Attia had fouled Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez in Egypt's attacking transition before the move that led to Ziko's finish.
Source: Getty Images
Because the foul occurred during the same attacking phase that resulted in the goal, the referee disallowed the strike after the VAR review.
Under the International Football Association Board Laws of the Game and VAR protocol, officials are permitted to review incidents that occur in the attacking phase leading to a goal, including fouls, handballs and offsides, per Al Jazeera.
The decision ultimately proved crucial, as Argentina recovered from their early setback to complete a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory and eliminate Egypt from the tournament.
CAF sends message to Egypt
Legit.ng earlier reported that the Pharaohs looked set to join the Atlas Lions of Morocco as the second African team in the quarter-final, but fell short in the closing minutes.
CAF shared a post on their official X page with a message for the Egyptians after a record-breaking appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Source: Legit.ng
