Collina Responds to Egypt’s Refereeing Accusations After Argentina Exit

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published July 9, 2026

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FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina has defended the officiating in Argentina’s 3-2 win over Egypt in the World Cup round of 16, rejecting claims that the match officials were biased or influenced by outside pressure. The response came after strong Egyptian anger over key decisions that shaped the knockout match.

The controversy focused mainly on two moments: a disallowed second-half goal by Mostafa Ziko and a late incident involving Mohamed Salah before Argentina’s decisive goal. Egypt argued that both decisions had a direct impact on the result and raised serious questions about the use of VAR during the match.

According to Reuters, Egypt said Ziko’s goal was wrongly ruled out for what it described as a non-existent foul in the build-up. Collina, however, defended the VAR intervention, saying the decision was linked to a foul by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martinez before the goal was scored.

The Salah incident also became a major talking point among Egyptian fans and commentators, especially because it came shortly before Argentina’s winning move. Collina defended the officials’ interpretation of the incident and rejected the idea that the referees had applied different standards against Egypt.

In comments published by FIFA and reported by international media, Collina stressed that World Cup referees operate independently and that questioning their integrity without evidence can be dangerous. He warned that accusations of bias can fuel threats against referees and their families, even when criticism of decisions remains part of football.

The Egyptian Football Association had already criticized the officiating after the defeat, with reports saying it filed a complaint with FIFA and questioned the handling of VAR in the match. The federation’s anger reflected a wider feeling among Egyptian supporters that the team’s World Cup dream was damaged by decisions in crucial moments.

For FIFA, Collina’s response appears aimed at protecting the credibility of match officials as the tournament moves into its decisive stages. For Egypt, however, the debate is unlikely to end quickly, because the disallowed goal and the Salah incident have already become part of the emotional story of Egypt’s exit.

The match will be remembered not only for Argentina’s dramatic win, but also for the debate it created around VAR, consistency and trust in officiating. Collina may have closed the official argument from FIFA’s side, but for many Egyptian fans, the question remains: did refereeing details end a campaign that could have gone further?