Egypt fury sparks global outrage over Messi ‘favoritism’ and VAR controversy



The final whistle had not settled even before accusations erupted about FIFA being “rigged,” “fixed,” “fixed.” What should have been remembered as Argentina’s World Cup return quickly escalated into something more controversial, dragging FIFA into another storm of suspicion. Argentina’s national football team trailed 2-0 with a few minutes remaining, and emerged with a 3-2 victory over Egypt’s national team in Atlanta.

Goals from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and Enzo Fernández turned the game around in dramatic fashion. From the brink of elimination to reaching the quarter-finals, it looked like a miracle, but not for Egypt, who claimed the match was rigged.

‘It was a brutal game’

After the final whistle, the manager of Egypt, Hossam Hassan, did not hold back, accusing FIFA of preparing the result to keep Messi in the tournament: “Why is there no balance in the game? I don’t want to try to put it here with nice words. We have been treated unfairly today. We have suffered injustice. It is talking in another way of the competition.”

His confusion was shared by Egypt the player Mostafa Zico, who burst into tears and said, “The referee, it’s not fair. The referee is unjust, unjust. An unjust person. Very clear injustice. He is losing the efforts of the whole nation. From the beginning of the game, we were leaving the game winning 2-0 against Argentina. But the trophy has already been awarded.”

He added, “I apologize to (the Egyptian fans) we wanted to make them happy today, we didn’t know how to do it. But, by God, it’s not in our hands, it’s in the referee’s hands. The cup has already been decided. Congratulations to Argentina on the World Cup. Congratulations. You don’t need anything else.”

VAR drama and penalties that changed everything

At the heart of the dispute is the VAR review and the wrath of Egypt centered on three important periods. A goal disallowed due to a “questionable” foul in extra time, a penalty kick denied after Mohamed Salah was cut down in the box, and a series of decisions taken in Argentina’s favor throughout the match. Referee François Letexier is facing a huge controversy with Egypt claiming that they even opposed his appointment before the game.

The Messi cause: Greatness or international favoritism?

Considered the greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi is more than just a player, he is a global brand, a marketing force, and the face of modern football. Hassan talked about Messi’s favoritism saying, “It’s all about money. They want Messi to stay in the tournament. In football, a lot of things happen outside the field because of interest. What happened was unfair. Egypt deserved to qualify. We were the best team.”

In one of the strangest moments of the night, Hassan raised his hands in an “X” sign, a symbol recognized by FIFA to report racism.

FIFA fans joining in the chorus

Online, comments were explosive as fans pointed ArgentinaFrequent penalties (eight in the last 12 World Cup matches), crucial VAR decisions going right, and a Messi-led title defense narrative. For many, it all felt too perfect.

It is important to note that there is no solid evidence that FIFA has rigged matches or fixed the results, only a lot of perceptions.

(Feature Photo Credit: X/@kirawontmiss, @Complex)

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