The fury and heartbreak of Egypt’s stunning World Cup collapse
Egypt appeared poised for their greatest World Cup achievement, holding three-time champions Argentina at 2-0 with less than 12 minutes remaining and a quarter-final berth seemingly within reach. However, Argentina orchestrated a stunning reversal, with goals from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and a late Enzo Fernandez header delivering a 3-2 victory and ending Egypt's tournament.
The outcome was overshadowed by officiating grievances that dominated post-match reaction. VAR cancelled what would have been Egypt's second goal, citing a minimal contact infringement by midfielder Marwan Attia, whilst Egypt's coaching staff insisted that Mohamed Salah was fouled in Argentina's penalty area moments before the winning goal went unconverted. Head coach Hossam Hassan stated the team had suffered injustice, characterising the VAR application as inconsistent and disproportionate to the contact involved.
- Egypt surrendered a 2-0 lead in the final 12 minutes as Argentina mounted an extraordinary comeback to win 3-2 in stoppage time, eliminating Egypt from their first World Cup quarter-final appearance
- Multiple controversial VAR decisions favoured Argentina: a second Egyptian goal was disallowed for minimal contact, and Egypt alleges a clear foul on Mohamed Salah went unpunished seconds before Argentina's winning goal
- The loss extends Egypt's World Cup disappointment after previous tournaments yielded no wins, leaving the nation's coaching staff and players aggrieved over inconsistent officiating