Egypt Manager Hossam Hassan Criticizes Referee Letexier Following Argentina’s Dramatic World Cup victory}

Egypt Manager Hossam Hassan Criticizes Referee Letexier Following Argentina’s Dramatic World Cup victory}

Several matches in the Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup delivered extraordinary moments, but perhaps none more compelling than Argentina’s 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt, which left Egyptian manager Hossam Hassan openly critical of referee Francois Letexier.

Hassan expressed his frustration bluntly: “I thought maybe he was hiding something—that perhaps he had something to conceal. People who have something to hide sometimes can’t keep it hidden completely, and that’s exactly how I felt during that conversation.”

The match saw Egypt squander a two-goal advantage within a span of 14 minutes, culminating in their elimination when Enzo Fernandez scored the decisive goal in stoppage time. The collapse prompted Hassan’s pointed remarks regarding Letexier’s officiating, including a gesture of disapproval as he crossed his arms in evident frustration.

Hassan Alleges Questionable Officiating Decisions

Prior to Fernandez’s winning goal, Alexis Mac Allister allegedly committed a jersey pull inside Argentina’s penalty area—a detail Hassan insisted warranted a penalty call. “There wasn’t even a VAR review,” Hassan complained. “We all saw his jersey being pulled, but the play wasn’t reviewed to disallow the goal. That’s how life is: unfair.”

Letexier was the referee of the match (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Hassan emphasized that this incident was not an isolated concern, stating that his team identified multiple contentious calls throughout the match that influenced the final outcome.

Hassan further alleged: “The outcome was influenced by internal factors on the field and during the match, as well as external factors leading up to the game. It appeared that Argentina had put pressure on the referee, which contributed to this result. We had already expressed our concerns about that referee.”

Protest Beyond the Pitch

While Egypt’s team narrowly missed advancing past the South American powerhouse, the manner of their elimination prompted Hassan to pledge a symbolic gesture of dissent for the remainder of the tournament.

Hassan declared: “I won’t continue, and I promise you this: from the moment I return, I will not watch any more matches in this World Cup. This is my personal protest, my own objection, my way of making my voice heard and standing by my principles. I won’t watch a single match in this tournament.”

Source link