2026 World Cup: Francois Letexier Takes Bold Step After Match Between Egypt and Argentina
- Francois Letexier has taken a dramatic position after the World Cup match between Egypt and Argentina in the Round of 16
- The French referee came under fire after failing to consult the VAR after Enzo Fernandez completed the comeback for the South Americans
- The 37-year-old move has caused a major debate among fans on social media, igniting reactions
FIFA referee Francois Letexier has taken a drastic step after officiating the controversial Round of 16 clash between Egypt and Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, July 7.
The North African giants suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to the defending champions in a match that has since sparked widespread debate over several key refereeing decisions at Atlanta Stadium.
Egypt made the perfect start, taking the lead in the 15th minute when Yasser Ibrahim powered home a header from a well-worked set piece.
Source: Getty Images
The Pharaohs doubled their advantage in the 67th minute through Mostafa Ziko, leaving the reigning world champions on the brink of elimination.
Argentina responded in dramatic fashion as Cristian Romero pulled one back before Lionel Messi redeemed himself for an earlier penalty miss by levelling the score four minutes later.
Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez completed the comeback in stoppage time, heading home the winner to send La Albiceleste into the quarter-finals, per Al Jazeera.
Letexier deactivates Instagram account
UEFA elite referee Francois Letexier has deactivated his Instagram account after receiving a wave of criticism from football fans over his handling of the match.
According to a viral post by African football expert Micky Jnr on X, Letexier initially restricted comments on his posts before eventually taking his account offline.
The French official came under scrutiny for three major incidents that many supporters believe favoured Argentina.
The first occurred in the 58th minute when Mostafa Ziko thought he had put Egypt 2-0 ahead, only for the goal to be ruled out after a VAR review determined that Lisandro Martínez had been fouled in the build-up.
Egypt were also denied a penalty after Alexis Mac Allister appeared to pull Hamdy Fathy's shirt inside the penalty area, with Letexier waving away appeals and VAR declining to intervene, per TRT World.
The final flashpoint came moments before Enzo Fernandez's winning goal, as many fans argued that Mohamed Salah had been fouled in the build-up before Argentina launched the attack that sealed victory.
Source: Getty Images
Despite the controversy, Argentina completed an epic comeback from two goals down to secure a place in the quarter-finals, while Egypt bowed out of the tournament.
Fans react on Francois Letexier's move
@MohammadAnism said:
"Argentina must be thankful to him. He is the best player of Team Argentina."
Bugi8581 wrote:
"The worst referee I’ve ever seen. He robbed an entire nation of its dream. Egypt should have won that game."
@LethaboTheka75 added:
"Man knows exactly what he has done."
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
