Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has launched a scathing attack on the standard of officiating at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, claiming African teams are facing more than just their opponents on the pitch.
The outspoken tactician expressed his frustration following Egypt’s dramatic Round of 16 defeat to defending champions Argentina, insisting his side had been denied crucial decisions that ultimately cost them a place in the quarter-finals.
Hassan believes inconsistent refereeing and VAR interventions continue to work against African nations on football’s biggest stage.
“We Were Cheated”
Speaking in a fiery post-match press conference, Hassan did not hold back in his assessment of the officiating.
“I do not want to put it nicely and talk about hard luck. We have been cheated unfairly today; we have suffered injustice.”
The Egypt coach was particularly unhappy with the decision to disallow Mostafa Zico’s goal after a VAR review identified a foul on Lisandro Martínez earlier in the build-up.
Although Zico later scored to restore Egypt’s two-goal advantage, Argentina mounted a comeback through Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernández to win the match.
Hassan also questioned why VAR did not review an incident involving Alexis Mac Allister and Hamdy Fathy in the build-up to Argentina’s winning goal.
The Pharaohs believed they should have been awarded a penalty after Fathy’s shirt appeared to be pulled inside the box.
“We haven’t seen respect or fair play. There has not been respect or fair play.”
“A penalty was ruled out, was not even checked by VAR. A second goal was remarkably disallowed. There has not even been a VAR check when we have all seen the image of the shirt being pulled back.”
“Perhaps They Wanted Messi to Stay”
Hassan went even further during an interview with beIN Sports, suggesting external factors may have influenced the outcome of the match.
“Perhaps they wanted the world champions to stay in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running.”
“In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champions received support at every level.”
The Egyptian coach also revealed he had lost interest in watching the remainder of the tournament.
“I am not going to continue following the matches of this World Cup. This is my own way of speaking up.”
Pride in Egypt’s Performance
Despite the defeat, Hassan praised his players for their performance against the defending champions.
He highlighted the fact that the majority of Egypt’s squad plays in the domestic league, unlike many of their opponents who feature for European clubs.
“I’m very, very satisfied with the effort they put in.”
“Yet with predominantly local players – besides Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush – we were able to compete with anyone.”
Coach Also Criticises Match Scheduling
Hassan also took issue with the scheduling of the Round of 16 fixture, questioning why the match kicked off at noon just four days after both teams had played in the previous round.
“Whoever schedules those matches has never played football. You never schedule a game for 12pm.”
“At noon you go for a walk or to eat brunch; you do not go to play football.”
Conclusion
Egypt’s World Cup campaign may have ended in heartbreak, but Hossam Hassan’s post-match comments are likely to fuel debate over refereeing standards and VAR decisions at the tournament.
While Argentina progressed to the quarter-finals, the Egyptian coach believes his side deserved more and has called for greater fairness for African teams competing on the global stage.
