Beyond the excitement of yesterday's World Cup match between Egypt and Argentina, the two countries share a striking economic paradox: according to the latest IMF data, Argentina and Egypt top the list of the largest borrowers from the international institution, with Buenos Aires' debt reaching about $60 billion, compared to $10 billion for Egypt, among more than 80 countries indebted to the fund with total loans exceeding $160 billion.

These figures reflect the economic challenges both countries face. Argentina turned to borrowing to cope with repeated financial crises, the collapse of the peso's value, high inflation, and dwindling foreign exchange reserves. Egypt's financing needs, meanwhile, are tied to foreign currency shortages, rising import costs, increasing external debt, supporting reserves, and funding economic reform programs.

Wed, 08 2026

But the commonality between the two countries was not limited to economics. Their Round of 16 clash turned into one of the most controversial matches of the 2026 World Cup, after Argentina defeated Egypt 3-2 in a game that saw widespread objections to the performance of French referee François Letexier and his crew.

The main objections centered on the disallowance of a goal scored by Mostafa Ziko in the second half, citing a foul at the start of the move, as well as the failure to award a penalty to Mohamed Salah in stoppage time, before Argentina launched a counterattack from which they scored the winning goal.

The decisions sparked a wave of anger that led the Egyptian Football Association to file an official complaint with FIFA, demanding a review of the refereeing incidents it deemed influential on the match result.

Infantino disables comments

The match's repercussions extended to social media platforms. FIFA President Gianni Infantino disabled comments on his official Instagram account minutes after posting the match result, following a flood of thousands of angry comments blaming the refereeing system and video technology for the elimination of the Egyptian national team.

The match also became a global talking point, as several prominent football stars, coaches, and former referees weighed in on the controversy, criticizing the way the game was managed and the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.

Criticism from football stars

English football legend Alan Shearer said that turning to VAR to disallow Egypt's goal, while not reviewing a similar incident before Argentina's third goal, made the viewer feel like they were watching 'a play, not a football match,' adding that the application of the technology lacked consistency.

Portuguese manager José Mourinho described what happened as a 'movie,' asserting that the Egyptian team was not only facing their opponent but also the refereeing and VAR. He noted that Mohamed Salah was denied a clear penalty in the final minutes.

Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazário, for his part, said that Argentina has a champion's character, but he also stressed that the refereeing had a clear impact on the match's flow, adding that football deserves fairer decisions. He praised the performance of the Egyptian team until the last moments.

Wed, 08 2026

Former referees: VAR overstepped

Former English Premier League referee Graham Scott said the decision to disallow Egypt's goal was incorrect, explaining that the contact before the goal was natural and occurred far from the penalty area. Meanwhile, former Spanish international referee Eduardo Iturralde González stressed that such incidents do not warrant VAR intervention to disallow a goal, arguing that the excessive use of VAR at the 2026 World Cup is changing the nature of football and sparking more debate about its implementation.