Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan accuses FIFA of favouring Argentina and Lionel Messi after dramatic 3-2 defeat

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan accuses FIFA of favouring Argentina and Lionel Messi after dramatic 3-2 defeat

Egypt head train, Hossam Hassan has released a scathing attack on FIFA and the fit officers following his aspect’s dramatic 3-2 defeat to Argentina inside the 2026 FIFA global Cup spherical of 16, claiming the protecting champions have been favoured to maintain captain Lionel Messi in the match.

Reigning world champions Argentina fought returned from down 2-0 to win the game following a stunning late intervention by using Messi, who created one goal and scored any other.

Egypt were left livid after a intention was once ruled out following a VAR review, even as officials declined to review an obvious foul with the aid of Alexis Mac Allister within the buildup to Enzo Fernández’s stoppage-time winner.

They consider Mohamed Salah used to be fouled by means of Alexis Mac Allister inside the box earlier than Fernández scored at the alternative cease.

VAR decided now not to study the incident, and pundits have mentioned that the mission on Salah used to be not too varied from the foul on Lisandro Martinez, which led to Egypt’s disallowed aim.

After the suit, head educate Hossam Hassan accused FIFA of favouring Argentina and Lionel Messi.

“We looked higher than the reigning champions — higher in the entirety –, but the end result used to be prompted through internal elements at the pitch and outside elements off it,” Hassan advised reporters. “possibly they desired to preserve the arena champion inside the opposition. perhaps they desired Messi to live within the jogging.

“In soccer, there are from time to time outside elements that cross beyond the technical factors. the arena champion acquired aid at every degree.”

The referee for the match was once France’s François Letexier, whom Hassan said his crew had objected to in advance of the showdown. The train used to be similarly disillusioned that the video assistant referee didn’t experience a need for Letexier to check the obvious Mac Allister foul.

“There appear to be pressures from the Argentina facet in this final results,” he said. “We have been objecting to the selection of the referee because of the French state of affairs [Argentina beat France in the 2022 World Cup final], however all and sundry has to go through in some unspecified time in the future, and we suffered.

“We haven’t seen recognize or honest play. A penalty was once dominated out [an alleged foul on Mo Salah]. It was once no longer even checked by way of the VAR, and our 2nd purpose was remarkably, for some thing reason, disallowed.

“I want to put it in stunning phrases and say, ‘challenging luck,’ but we had been treated unfairly, and it has been an injustice,” he said.

Hassan was once involved in a verbal confrontation with Letexier at the quit of the sport, and he said he accused the legit of “having some thing to hide.”

“What I advised the referee was once, ‘this is unfair,’” Hassan said. “I stated maybe he is sporting a scar or has something to hide.

“If somebody is making an attempt to hide something, they frequently fail to hide it.”

Egypt forward Mostafa Zico stated it was once challenging to watch the suit slip away.

“challenging luck. The in shape was in our fingers and slipped away at the remaining second,” he said. “ordinary matters happened at the pitch.

“We had been challenging completed by means of [the referee] today, and all and sundry saw that. I received’t speak approximately some thing like this. We had been triumphing two-zero. After the 2-zero end result, everything went in opposition to us and worked against us. I don’t even understand why the second goal was once disallowed; I don’t see any motive for it. but we must look for a solution so that a second purpose doesn’t come. He wanted to disallow the 1/3 one too, however thank God, God didn’t provide him success.”