Argentina rally past Egypt 3-2 as VAR controversy sparks ‘fix’ accusations

Argentina's bid to retain the World Cup survived its most perilous moment on Tuesday when the defending champions erased a two-goal deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 in a round-of-16 match at Atlanta Stadium, a result now mired in accusations of biased officiating from the Egyptian Football Association and coaching staff.wsbtv+2

Messi's Heroics Rescue Argentina

Egypt appeared to be on the verge of a historic upset after goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko put the Pharaohs 2-0 ahead, with Lionel Messi having a penalty saved in between. Argentina looked finished until the 79th minute, when Messi hauled his side back into the match. Three unanswered goals in 13 minutes — culminating in a 92nd-minute winner from Enzo Fernández — completed one of the most dramatic comebacks in World Cup history and sent Argentina to the quarterfinals.barcablaugranes+3

Messi's goal extended his scoring streak to nine consecutive World Cup matches and moved him back to the top of the tournament's Golden Boot race with eight goals.aljazeera

Egypt Cries Foul Over VAR Decision

The comeback was overshadowed by fury from Egypt over a VAR decision that disallowed a Mostafa Ziko goal when Egypt were already leading 1-0, before Ziko later scored again to make it 2-0. The Egyptian FA accused FIFA of engineering a "fix," with the BBC reporting that Egypt's camp labeled the officiating as directed in Argentina's favor. The New York Times reported that Egypt "rages about refereeing" and claims the World Cup is "directed towards Argentina."aljazeera+2

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan called the refereeing "unfair" and said it favored Argentina, going "scorched earth" on officials in his post-match remarks.nypost

Hassan's Palestine Advocacy Draws Global Attention

Beyond the officiating dispute, Hassan had already thrust political tensions into the spotlight before the match. At an official FIFA press conference on Monday, the coach appealed for support for Palestinians, stating: "Through football — the planet's soft power — I aim to convey a message: allow the Palestinian people to live." Hassan, who wrapped himself in a Palestinian flag after Egypt's earlier victory over Australia, urged athletes and journalists worldwide to amplify that message.nytimes+1

Argentina will now face Switzerland — which eliminated Colombia on penalties on the same day — in the quarterfinals on Saturday.apnews+1