Late VAR review fuels scrutiny after Argentina knock out Egypt
Argentina’s 3-2 win over Egypt drew criticism after VAR ruled out an Egyptian goal, adding to scrutiny of FIFA decisions at the World Cup.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
3 min read
Argentina reached the World Cup quarterfinals after a 3-2 round-of-16 win over Egypt in Atlanta, but the result was followed by anger over a late VAR intervention that erased an Egyptian goal. Al Jazeera reported that the dispute has added to scrutiny of FIFA decision-making days after the governing body overturned a suspension involving the United States team.
The flashpoint came as Egypt appeared to extend its lead before video officials reviewed an earlier incident and the goal was disallowed. Al Jazeera said the decision was followed by a sequence of calls that Egypt and some analysts viewed as favorable to the defending champions.
Egypt coach points at FIFA
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan directed his criticism at FIFA after the match. Speaking to beIN Sports, Hassan said match officials may have felt pressure to keep Lionel Messi and Argentina in the tournament, adding that the world champions had received support beyond the technical side of the game.
Al Jazeera reported that Hassan had also used a pre-match news conference to speak in support of Palestinians, including people in Gaza. Simon Chadwick, a professor of Afro-Eurasian sport at Emlyon Business School in Shanghai, told Al Jazeera that officials may carry biases into decisions, though he did not allege match-fixing.
Chadwick said the VAR episode was unusual because the referee did not call a foul in live play before the goal was scored. He also told Al Jazeera that Argentina later appeared to benefit from a comparable incident in the buildup to one of its goals, raising concerns about consistency in how the match was handled.
Balogun case adds context
The controversy followed another FIFA decision that had already drawn attention at the tournament. Al Jazeera reported that US President Donald Trump said he had asked FIFA to review and overturn a one-match suspension for USA striker Folarin Balogun after a red card, and FIFA did so.
Balogun then played against Belgium, although the United States lost 4-1 and exited the tournament, according to Al Jazeera. Chadwick told the outlet that the Balogun case made it harder for observers to know which decisions could be trusted.
Chadwick also noted Trump’s political relationship with Argentina’s president, Javier Milei. Al Jazeera reported that Milei has appeared at pro-Trump events in the United States and that Trump has called him his favorite president.
Analysts split on the call
Football analyst Ali El Garni told Al Jazeera that calling Egypt robbed may go too far. He said the foul before Egypt’s disallowed goal was clear, but the harder issue was how far VAR should go back when checking a goal.
El Garni said Argentina benefited from the marginal incidents and questioned whether the same intervention would have happened if Argentina had scored the goal. He also pointed to an apparent foul on Mohamed Salah before Argentina’s third goal, saying VAR did not step in then.
Chadwick told Al Jazeera that football should give fans and viewers more access to the reasoning behind VAR decisions, including the arguments considered by officials. He said the technology was designed to reduce doubt and create consistency, but in this match its use appeared to heighten frustration among Egypt’s players.
Chadwick dismissed rumors that the match had been fixed to help Messi and Argentina. He added, however, that Messi remains one of the tournament’s major draws.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.