Overview
- Argentina overturned a 0-2 deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 in stoppage time on Thursday, with Lionel Messi equalizing after a missed penalty and Enzo Fernández scoring the winner.
- The Egyptian Football Association lodged a formal protest naming referee François Letexier’s trio and asked FIFA to investigate and remove the officials from upcoming matches.
- FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina said the disallowed Egyptian goal was correctly overturned because Marwan Attia stepped on Argentina’s Lisandro Martínez during the build-up.
- FIFA can open a disciplinary review and sanction or reassign referees but has no current indication it will annul or replay the 3-2 result.
- The dispute highlights growing scrutiny of World Cup officiating in the knockout stage and could lead to changes in referee assignments, internal procedures and public trust if errors are found.