Former England football star Jamie Carragher criticized the controversial decision to disallow Egypt's goal during the Pharaohs' dramatic 2-3 loss to Argentina (the defending champions) in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting that the result might have been different if that goal had been for another team.

The seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions appeared on the verge of a historic World Cup achievement by qualifying for the quarter-finals of the tournament, currently being held in the United States, Mexico and Canada, after taking a 2-0 lead over the world champions.

However, the hopes of Mohamed Salah and his teammates to continue their World Cup journey were ultimately dashed by a late comeback from Argentina, led by Lionel Messi.

Carragher, the former English defender and football analyst, questioned the consistency of VAR decisions after disallowing Mostafa Ziko's goal in the second half following a video review.

Carragher said: 'I guarantee you that if that goal was against another team, it would have counted. If it happened in the Premier League, La Liga, or Serie A, it would have been a valid goal even after a VAR review. This tournament has seen many inconsistencies.'

Egyptian players celebrated a brilliant goal scored by Mostafa Ziko after a quick counterattack, but the goal was disallowed after VAR officials spotted a foul by Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez earlier in the move before the goal was scored.

The decision sparked widespread anger among Egypt's players and fans, who felt the incident did not justify disallowing what could have been a decisive goal.

Nevertheless, Ziko returned to score another goal, giving Egypt a 2-0 lead and putting his country on track for a historic first-ever World Cup quarter-final appearance.

However, Argentina showed their high competitive spirit and staged a remarkable comeback, with defender Cristian Romero reducing the deficit before Messi equalized with his eighth goal of the current tournament, after missing a penalty earlier in the match.

With Argentina dominating the match, they completed their stunning comeback in dramatic fashion when Enzo Fernández scored the winning goal in stoppage time, allowing the 'Tango dancers' to advance to the quarter-finals and end Egypt's historic World Cup run.

This result sparked fresh debate about the consistency of the Video Assistant Referee system in the tournament, with Carragher's comments joining the growing discussion about refereeing standards and the interpretation of crucial decisions in major international tournaments.