The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has condemned the use of VAR after Egypt's dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup, claiming key refereeing decisions directly affected the outcome.
The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has criticised the use of VAR following Egypt's dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup.
Egypt looked set to pull off one of the biggest shocks of the tournament after taking a 2-0 lead against the defending champions with just 11 minutes remaining.
However, Argentina scored three late goals to complete a stunning comeback and book their place in the quarter-finals.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the EFA said several refereeing decisions had directly affected the result and insisted it would not stay silent over what it described as the improper use of VAR.
"Several key incidents raised serious concerns and left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game," the federation said.
It added that football experts and analysts from both Egypt and abroad had questioned a number of controversial decisions.
"This underlines the importance of maintaining the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and transparency in match officiating, particularly in a competition of the stature and significance of the FIFA World Cup 2026."
Much of the debate centred on a goal by Mostafa Zico in the 62nd minute that would have put Egypt 2-0 ahead.
The goal was ruled out after a VAR review found a foul by an Egyptian player earlier in the build-up.
Egypt's frustration grew in the closing stages when appeals for a penalty were rejected after Hamdy Fathy went down under a challenge. Moments later, Argentina broke forward and scored the winner in the 92nd minute.
Coach Hossam Hassan and captain Mohamed Salah both voiced their disappointment after the match, while former players and television pundits also questioned the officiating.
Former England goalkeeper Rob Green said the decision to overturn Zico's goal went beyond VAR's intended role.
"Surely, this is not within VAR's realm to review. It's a full length of the pitch away," he said during Fox's coverage of the match.
Former England captain Alan Shearer also criticised the consistency of the decisions.
"Either both are fouls or neither is. But they told us they won't re-referee," he wrote on social media.
Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright pointed to another incident involving Salah.
"If you're going to pull it back for Argentina on the edge of the box to disallow a goal, you have to pull it back for this one with Mo Salah. He's been caught. Whatever we say, it might be minimal, he's been caught and then they go up the other end," he said on ITV.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher also questioned how VAR had been applied.
"If that was in the Premier League, LaLiga or Serie A, it would have been a goal even after VAR review," he said.
According to media reports, EFA president Hany Abo Rida has submitted an official complaint against French referee François Letexier and his officiating team.
FIFA has not yet responded to a request for comment.
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