Mostafa Zico criticizes refereeing after Egypt's loss to Argentina
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 11, 2026, 3:40 PM
Last updated Jul 11, 2026
Mostafa Zico of Egypt publicly expressed frustration over the officiating during his team's 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the World Cup Round of 16. After leading 2-0, Egypt conceded three goals within 15 minutes, with Zico highlighting unfair treatment and a disallowed goal due to VAR. Past comments from Zico, critical of Messi and Argentina, resurfaced, raising questions about his motivations. He stated after the game, 'the cup is being given to Argentina' amid calls for fairness, pointing to a contentious penalty decision involving Mo Salah. This incident has sparked debate about officiating standards heading into future World Cups.
- •Egypt lost 3-2 to Argentina in the World Cup Round of 16
- •Zico claimed unfair treatment by referees after the match
- •Egypt was ahead 2-0 before conceding three goals
- •A disallowed goal by Zico raised questions about VAR usage
- •Zico criticized the officiating and called for fairness in football
- 3:40 PMYahoo Sports — Egypt player’s old anti-Messi posts surface after claiming World Cup is ‘being given’ to Argentina
"Egypt’s Mostafa Zico made headlines around the world for claiming their 3-2 Round of 16 loss to Argentina and Lionel Messi was due to unfair treatment. Egypt’s 2-0 lead against Argentina crumbled into a 3-2 defeat within the span of 15 minutes, with multiple decisions in the game coming under fire after such a narrow win.
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