Mohamed Salah threaded a pass to Mostafa Zico, handing Egypt a stunning 2-0 lead over Argentina in their World Cup last-16 tie in Atlanta. The Pharaohs erupted in jubilation – but the celebrations were short-lived.
Referee Francois Letexier was summoned by VAR to examine a possible foul in the build-up. After considerable protest from Argentine players, Lisandro Martinez was deemed to have been unlawfully brought down more than 20 seconds before Zico fired past goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. The goal was ruled out.
“Egypt's goal disallowed by VAR sparks rigging accusations as Argentina fight back to win 3-2.”
“This tournament is rigged. Corruption at display, robbing Egypt of the goal,” one fan posted on X. “Rigged like always,” another wrote. “The World Cup is rigged for Messi,” one tweeted.
Six minutes later, Egypt scored again through Zico, but the damage had been done. Lionel Messi struck a stunning volley to draw Argentina level at 2-2, before Enzo Fernandez powered home a stoppage-time header to seal a 3-2 victory – one of the most extraordinary World Cup comebacks in history.
Experienced journalists challenged the VAR decision, questioning both the interpretation of the laws and whether the technology should have been deployed. Earlier in the tournament, US forward Folarin Balogun had his red card suspended and downgraded to a fine after a contentious VAR intervention. The controversy has dominated the 2026 World Cup.