...As Switzerland eliminates Colombia
Egypt have accused match officials of favouring defending champions Argentina after a dramatic 3-2 Round of 16 defeat that sparked one of the biggest refereeing controversies of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Pharaohs looked set for a famous victory after storming into a 2-0 lead, only for Argentina to mount a sensational comeback and snatch victory in stoppage time to book a place in the quarter-finals.
The result, however, was overshadowed by angry protests from the Egyptian camp over a series of contentious officiating decisions, including the disallowing of a Mostafa Ziko goal and the failure to award what they believed was a clear penalty in the build-up to Enzo Fernández's late winner.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan did not hide his frustration, accusing referee François Letexier and the VAR officials of denying his side a deserved victory.
"We haven't seen respect or fair play," Hassan said after the match.
"One penalty was denied, another incident that should have been reviewed by VAR wasn't even checked, and a legitimate goal was ruled out for reasons we cannot explain.
"There appeared to be pressure on the referee from the Argentine side, and that changed the outcome of the match."
The former Egypt international went further, suggesting there were interests beyond football behind the result.
"Perhaps they wanted the world champions to remain in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to continue," Hassan said.
"In football, there are times when things happen away from the pitch because of certain interests. Argentina benefited from support at every level.
"I told the referee that what happened was unfair. Egypt deserved to qualify. Once I return home, I will never watch the World Cup again because there is no justice in this competition."
Hassan also criticised the scheduling of the match, saying a noon kick-off should never have been approved.
"Whoever fixed a football match for 12 noon has never played the game. You simply don't do that," he said.
Egypt forward Mostafa Ziko was equally furious, insisting the referee's decisions destroyed his team's hopes of reaching the last eight.
"It was not fair. The referee was very unfair," Ziko said through a translator.
"He ruined everything we worked for. We were leading 2-0, but there was nothing we could do. It was in God's hands.
"I apologise to the Egyptian people. We wanted to make them proud, but it wasn't meant to be because of the referee."
The forward made an even stronger allegation afterwards, claiming the tournament had been tilted in Argentina's favour.
"Congratulations to Argentina for the World Cup," he said.
"The tournament was rigged. The referee was unfair, unfair, unfair. The cup is directed towards Argentina."
Despite Egypt's protests, Argentina completed the comeback to advance to the quarter-finals, where Lionel Messi and his teammates will meet Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Switzerland booked their place in the last eight for the first time since 1954 after defeating Colombia in a tense penalty shootout following a goalless 120 minutes.
The evenly contested encounter produced few clear-cut chances, with both teams cancelling each other out in a tactical battle before the Swiss held their nerve from the spot.
Swiss coach Murat Yakin described the achievement as a dream come true.
"I think I need a few hours or even days to process what has happened," Yakin said.
"This is a dream. We knew it would be a tactical and very tight game."
Yakin admitted his side had been hampered by the absence of leading scorer Johan Manzambi, who suffered a knee injury in training on the eve of the match.
"We prepared with him in our plans, so losing him changed things. I hope to see our best player back on the pitch soon," he said.
Colombia had opportunities to settle the contest, with Jaminton Campaz blazing over from close range late in extra time after earlier chances also went begging.
Los Cafeteros also felt they should have been awarded a penalty after Campaz went down under a challenge from Miro Muheim early in extra time, while Jhon Lucumí rattled the crossbar with a powerful header.
Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel proved decisive for Switzerland, making the crucial save during the shootout to seal a famous victory.
"He is one of the best goalkeepers in the world," Yakin said. "He gives us confidence and delivered when we needed him most."
Colombia coach Néstor Lorenzo lamented his side's wastefulness in front of goal but refused to blame his players.
"We created chances but couldn't finish them," Lorenzo said.
"They're fantastic players. Sometimes the goals come, sometimes they don't. That's football."
Switzerland will now face Argentina in the quarter-finals as the South Americans attempt to keep alive their bid to retain the World Cup title amid lingering controversy over their dramatic victory against Egypt.
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