Lisandro Martinez, defender of the Argentine national football team, dismissed the controversy over refereeing in the 2026 World Cup. The player asserted that 'the referees have performed excellently' after Egypt criticized the refereeing decisions in their thrilling 2-3 loss to the South American team in the round of 16. Argentina advanced to the quarter-finals after overturning a two-goal deficit to win in the last 11 minutes of the match. The match sparked complaints from the Egyptian Football Association about the use of VAR, particularly regarding the disallowed goal of Mostafa Zeko in the 62nd minute, which would have doubled the lead for the North African team. Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the FIFA Referees Committee, defended the referees at the time, rejecting allegations of bias towards any team, stressing that they worked independently. Martinez told reporters in response to a question about whether he had anything to say about the refereeing in the tournament: 'No, nothing at all. I think they are doing an excellent job. This is something that you in the media sometimes stir up controversy about. We care about giving our best on the pitch, and nothing more.' Argentina will face Switzerland on Saturday in the quarter-finals in Kansas City. Martinez expressed respect for the European team, while stressing the need to continue focusing on their own performance, adding: 'As always, what distinguishes this team is respect for the opponent. If Switzerland has reached this stage, it is because they possess great capabilities. We watched their match against Colombia, and we see that they always try to give their best. They are very strong physically, and in set pieces as well. It will be a great match because both teams are trying to perform at their best.'