FIFA’s Collina Issues Statement Argentina-Egypt Referee Amid World Cup Bias Allegations
- FIFA referee chief Pierluigi Collina defended the official who oversaw Argentina's match against Egypt at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
- Calls to remove the referee from the tournament followed controversial decisions that drew accusations of bias in favour of Lionel Messi's Argentina
- Egypt coach Hossam Hassan and Mostafa Zico were among those who publicly questioned the officiating during the high-profile fixture
FIFA's head of referees, Pierluigi Collina, has come out in defence of the match official who handled Argentina's group-stage game against Egypt at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
This comes following widespread criticism and demands that the referee be removed from the tournament.
The controversy erupted after a series of contentious decisions during the fixture raised suspicions among fans, players, and coaches that officiating at the tournament was tilted in favour of Argentina captain Lionel Messi.
Source: Getty Images
Egypt's defeat intensified the backlash, with calls growing on social media and from prominent voices in football for the referee to be sent home.
Egypt coach Hassan and Zico are among the critics
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan suggested that there was favouritism shown towards Argentina by FIFA during their encounter in the Round of 16. He said:
"Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running."
"The world champion received support at every level. There seem to be pressures from the Argentina side on this outcome."
The Pharaohs winger Mostafa Zico was among the public figures who voiced frustration over the officiating.
He questioned the fairness of the decisions made during the match. Zico said:
"The referee was really not fair. Not fair. The referee was not fair. The injustice was clear," per Al Jazeera.
FIFA's Collina reacts
Chairman of FIFA's Referees Committee Pierluigi Collina has pushed back against those criticisms, defending the referee's conduct during the match.
According to ESPN, Collina maintained that the officiating met the standards expected at a World Cup and rejected the notion that the referee should face any punitive action. He said:
"Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials. When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right.
"Equally, nobody can claim that FIFA refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA president."
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
