After a period of relentless World Cup action spanning 27 days, a scheduled break has now arrived, offering teams a period of rest. With no games slated for today, participating nations can recuperate before the quarter-finals commence later this week, starting from Thursday.
The temporary pause offers a moment for reflection, particularly after the extraordinary events witnessed yesterday. Many observers, including CNN Sports colleagues present at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, described Argentina’s comeback as one of the most remarkable in football history.
Indeed, supervising editor Kyle Feldscher characterised Argentina’s dramatic turnaround as akin to “divine intervention,” a sentiment that, in sporting terms, did not feel far off. While most of the world celebrated another Lionel Messi-inspired miracle, the outcome left Egypt’s supporters utterly heartbroken and, pertinently, furious.
Controversial Decisions Spark Egyptian Outcry
The governing body, FIFA, was already amidst news swirling around it, including a reference to Trump’s red card intervention. Against this backdrop, the last thing FIFA needed was to face accusations of favouritism and suggestions of some form of match fixing.
Yet, following Egypt’s dramatic last 16 defeat, in which they surrendered a 2-0 lead against Argentina yesterday, such accusations became the focus for many of its players and coaches. Egypt’s coach, Hossam Hassan, unequivocally labelled the match’s outcome “unfair,” articulating the profound upset within the Egyptian camp.
VAR Intervention Disallows Goal
The match had initially started very positively for the Egyptians, who opened the scoring in the 15th minute, taking a 1-0 lead. Their hopes soared further when they believed they had successfully doubled their advantage just before the hour mark, a moment that quickly became the epicentre of controversy.
Following their celebrations for what they thought was their second goal, Egypt’s players were hit with the gut-wrenching, sinking feeling that accompanies a VAR review. As the team revelled in what they believed was a temporary 2-0 lead, the referee team initiated a detailed dissection of the moments preceding the ball hitting the back of the net.
Eventually, to the considerable frustration and bewilderment of many watching, the referee disallowed the goal. This decision was based on the video assistant referee (VAR) having identified a foul on Argentina’s Lisandro Martínez, an incident which had led to Egypt regaining possession of the ball for the build-up to the goal.
While a consensus suggested it probably was, just about, a foul, the sentiment among many was that it did not constitute an incident with which VAR should have become involved.
Argentina’s Late Treble Secures Dramatic Victory
Despite the earlier VAR-induced disappointment, Egypt managed to secure a second goal through Mostafa Ziko. This placed Argentina, the defending champions, firmly on the brink of elimination, setting the stage for a tense conclusion to the match.
However, Argentina then orchestrated a truly remarkable turnaround, scoring three times within a frantic 13-minute spell towards the end of the match. The decisive winning goal arrived in the third minute of stoppage time, igniting scenes of elation for the Albiceleste and unleashing total fury for their Egyptian opponents.
The Egyptian bench reacted with incandescent rage, vigorously protesting what they perceived as another critical injustice. Their vehement claims centred on a penalty they believed should have been awarded in the immediate build-up to Enzo Fernández’s winning goal for Argentina.
Specific replays highlighted that less than 20 seconds before the ball found the back of the net for Argentina’s winner, Mohamed Salah had gone down inside the Argentina penalty box. The footage showed Julián Álvarez nicking the ball off the winger just before Salah fell under contact with the Argentine player.
Despite the clear contact and Salah going down, VAR did not intervene to ask the referee to review this contentious incident. This omission further fuelled the intense anger and accusations emanating from the Egyptian contingent.
Egypt’s Players and Coaches Direct Focus to Match Fixing Claims
The aftermath saw many of Egypt’s players and coaches direct their focus towards accusations of favouritism and match fixing, especially after throwing away their 2-0 lead. Coach Hossam Hassan’s “unfair” label encapsulated the team’s sense of injustice.
The sequence of controversial moments, from the disallowed goal to the unreviewed penalty claim in the dying minutes, culminated in a profound sense of grievance for Egypt. The governing body now faces scrutiny, with the incident adding to the existing news surrounding FIFA.