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Collina Defends VAR After Argentina’s 3-2 Egypt Win

7/10/2026

Summary

Collina Rejects Bias

Pierluigi Collina rejected bias claims, saying officials acted with complete independence after Argentina’s 3-2 round-of-16 win over Egypt in Atlanta.
He warned that unfounded allegations could provoke threats against referees and their families.
VAR correctly overturned Mostafa Zico’s disallowed goal after identifying a foul by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martínez.
Collina called the contact between Mohamed Salah and Julián Álvarez normal and said FIFA is satisfied with VAR use.

Summary

Egyptian FA Complains

The Egyptian Football Association filed a complaint demanding that referee François Letexier and his officiating team be expelled.
Coach Hossam Hassan alleged that FIFA sought to keep Lionel Messi in the tournament by favoring Argentina.
Former striker Mohamed Mido warned that FIFA would lose millions in sponsorship if Egypt eliminated Argentina.
President Donald Trump asked FIFA to lift striker Folarin Balogun’s red-card ban before the Belgium match.

Summary

EFA Defends

Mostafa Ziko gave Egypt a 2-0 lead before Argentina’s comeback.
Lionel Messi’s 79th-minute assist to Cristian Romero started the first of three successive Argentine goals.
Saafan Elsaghir received a red card after Hossam Hassan raised an “X” to signal alleged racial abuse following the stoppage-time winner.
The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) noted that multiple independent analysts have publicly defended Egypt’s view on officiating fairness.

History

Historical Context

In 2002, Italy fell to South Korea in the World Cup quarter-final, prompting referee-bias complaints from Italian federation chief Luciano Moggi as FIFA president Sepp Blatter oversaw the event. The tournament, held from 31 May to 30 June, was the first jointly hosted in Asia with 32 teams and heightened worldwide calls for officiating reform.

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Collina Rejects Bias

Pierluigi Collina rejected bias claims, saying officials acted with complete independence after Argentina’s 3-2 round-of-16 win over Egypt in Atlanta.
He warned that unfounded allegations could provoke threats against referees and their families.
VAR correctly overturned Mostafa Zico’s disallowed goal after identifying a foul by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martínez.
Collina called the contact between Mohamed Salah and Julián Álvarez normal and said FIFA is satisfied with VAR use.

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