The Egyptian Football Association has officially filed a complaint with FIFA, demanding an investigation into French referee François Letexier and his complete exclusion, along with his crew, from officiating the remaining matches of the 2026 World Cup.

Refereeing Controversy

The French referee angered Egyptian fans after making what were described as "controversial" decisions during Tuesday's Round of 16 match between Egypt and Argentina. He disallowed a goal for Egypt when they were leading 1-0, before they could double their lead with a second goal.

Meanwhile, he refused to consult VAR after Argentina's third goal, despite suspicions of a foul against Mohamed Salah inside Argentina's penalty area.

According to Egyptian media, the Egyptian Football Association accused the officiating crew of favoring Argentina to ensure the stars, "led by Lionel Messi," remain in the tournament for marketing and commercial purposes, compromising the integrity of the competition.

The complaint also demanded an investigation into the video assistant referees for insisting on disallowing Mustafa Ziko's legitimate goal, citing a prior foul unrelated to the play, while ignoring questionable footage that led to Argentina's goals and a penalty not awarded to Egypt.

The federation stressed in its letter the necessity of excluding the French referee for committing "blatant errors" that directly affected the result, as stated in the letter.