Argentina’s dramatic comeback win over Egypt has ended Mohamed Salah’s World Cup dream and pushed Alexis Mac Allister and the holders into the last eight, where Switzerland now await.
The round-of-16 tie in Atlanta finished 3-2 to Argentina, who overturned a two-goal deficit in the final stages to keep their title defence alive.
UK ONLY
Egypt, who had already made history by reaching the knockouts and earning their first-ever World Cup win earlier in the tournament, led through Yasser Ibrahim’s first-half header and a second-half strike from Mostafa Zico.
Lionel Messi saw a penalty saved with the score at 1-0, but Egypt still appeared in control when Zico doubled the advantage with just over 20 minutes to play.
Argentina responded through Cristian Romero’s header on 79 minutes, before Messi levelled with a powerful finish, and Enzo Fernández completed the turnaround in stoppage time with a close-range header.
For Salah, it was a harsh exit after carrying so much of Egypt’s attacking threat across the competition, and Liverpool supporters will have felt the disappointment alongside him.
Journalist Ismael Mahmoud has reported that the president of the Egyptian FA, Hany Abo Rida, has filed an official complaint against referee François Letexier:
“Egyptian Federation Association President Hany Abo Rida has filed an official complaint against French referee François Letexier & his assistants following Egypt’s 3-2 loss to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup. He demanded an investigation into controversial decisions against the Pharaohs and officially requested the exclusion of the French refereeing team from the rest of the tournament due to their crucial mistakes.”
It’s believed they are seeking clarity on specific incidents they believe warrant further examination, including a disallowed goal for Mostafa Zico in the second half and challenges in the build‑up to Argentina’s stoppage‑time winner.
🚨 BREAKING: Egyptian Federation Association President Hany Abo Rida has filed an official complaint against French referee François Letexier & his assistants following Egypt’s 3-2 loss to Argentina in the 2026 World Cup. 🇪🇬🇦🇷
He demanded an investigation into controversial… pic.twitter.com/Ya3CsTQ0Qp
— Ismael Mahmoud – إسماعيل محمود (@ismaeelmahmoudd) July 7, 2026