Egypt manager Hossam Hassan has leveled accusations that their World Cup round of 16 match against Argentina was unfairly influenced by commercial interests. The reigning world champions secured a dramatic comeback victory, ultimately winning 3-2 after trailing 2-0 until the 79th minute.
Cristian Romero scored Argentina's first goal, followed by an equalizer from Lionel Messi in the 83rd minute, and Enzo Fernandez netted the winning goal in added time. However, Egypt was left incensed by several key moments, including a disallowed goal when the score was 1-0. VAR intervened, ruling that Marwan Attia had fouled Lisandro Martinez in the build-up to the goal.
Furthermore, Egypt insisted that their star player, Mo Salah, was fouled in the penalty box in the lead-up to Argentina's decisive goal.
Following the match, Hassan expressed his frustration, stating that external factors played a role in their defeat and criticizing the performance of referee Francois Letexier. "We were better against Argentina, but football isn't fair, and what happened was unfair, despite FIFA upholding the motto of 'fair play,'" Hassan said. "The referee disallowed one of our goals and we don't know why. The result could have been 3-1, but Argentina then managed to equalize."
He further elaborated on his suspicions, suggesting that marketing and commercial considerations may have impacted the game's outcome. "I don't like losing at all, but this was an unfair defeat. In football, there are other off-field factors that have nothing to do with technical aspects," Hassan stated. "It's possible that marketing issues are the cause; they don't want Messi to be eliminated, they want the world champion to continue in the competition. The world champion received support at every level. There seem to be pressures from the Argentina side on this outcome."
Lionel Messi, a highly marketable global star with commercial endorsements from brands such as Adidas, Lays, Lego, and Mastercard, is a significant draw at the World Cup. He reportedly earns approximately $70 million annually from sponsorships.
Hassan's strong reaction also led him to post a photo of referee Letexier on his Instagram page with the caption, "The world is watching." Letexier reportedly deleted his own Instagram account following the backlash.
Messi has now scored eight goals in the current World Cup, placing him at the top of the Golden Boot standings. Argentina is scheduled to face Switzerland in the quarter-finals on Sunday morning.