Despite Egypt putting pressure on FIFA regarding the refereeing, the Pharaohs are officially out of the 2026 World Cup. It was a dramatic 3-2 defeat against Argentina that eliminated them, though the tournament was still a major success for the African nation.

Under FIFA’s financial structure, every World Cup participant earns prize money that increases depending on the nation’s final ranking. In Egypt’s case, the Pharaohs will walk away with a total of $16.5 million.

How is the 2026 World Cup prize money distributed?

According to FIFA, this year’s World Cup featured a massive increase in the prize pool distributed among all 48 participating nations—marking the largest money pool in the history of the tournament.

A total of $655 million in performance-based prize money is divided among the 48 teams. Each country receives a base participation fee of $1.5 million for making the World Cup, with their final tournament position adding further earnings:

• Champions: $50 million
• Runners-up: $33 million
• 3rd place: $29 million
• 4th place: $27 million
• 5th-8th place: $19 million
• 9th-16th place: $15 million
• 17th- 32nd place: $11 million
• 33rd-48th place: $9 million

Why did Egypt receive $16.5 million?

Following the Round of 16, Egypt concluded its World Cup campaign in 15th place—finishing just below Canada and above Paraguay. Teams finishing between 9th and 16th place receive $15 million in performance prize money, which combines with the base $1.5 million participation fee to equal $16.5 million.

This marks only the second time Egypt has reached the Round of 16 in its World Cup history. The African nation previously reached the same stage in 1934, securing a 13th-place finish—though the prize money back then was substantially different.

In a post on Instagram, Ziko thanked everyone who supported Egypt throughout the World Cup before delivering a message of optimism. “Maybe the journey ends here, but what we lived will never be forgotten… Our promise… this is not the end. It’s the beginning of a bigger dream. We’ll work harder, learn from every experience and, God willing, we’ll build on what stopped us today and come back to bring Egypt even greater achievements.”

Argentina erased a two-goal deficit to advance to the quarterfinals, with Yasser Ibrahim and Ziko scoring for Egypt before Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and Enzo Fernández completed the comeback. Despite the defeat, Egypt’s performance throughout the tournament marked one of the nation’s strongest World Cup campaigns and left supporters hopeful for the future.

Egypt’s World Cup ended amid refereeing controversy

The dramatic Round of 16 defeat was also overshadowed by controversy. Egypt’s delegation protested two key refereeing decisions, including the disallowed goal that would have restored a two-goal advantage and a penalty appeal involving Mohamed Salah late in the match.

Head coach Hossam Hassan suggested after the game that several decisions favored Argentina, while FIFA’s head of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, later defended the calls and reiterated the integrity of the tournament’s match officials.

Ziko looks ahead after Egypt’s historic run

Although Egypt fell short of reaching the quarterfinals, it was still the furthest Egypt have ever gone at a World Cup. The Pharaohs advanced from the group stage before eliminating Australia to reach the Round of 16, producing one of the country’s deepest World Cup runs.

Ziko’s message reflected that sense of pride, thanking the players, coaching staff, federation officials, and supporters while insisting that the experience will serve as motivation for future international competitions.

Following the controversy, Collina addressed the debate in a FIFA interview, defending the integrity of World Cup officials. “Of course, constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport. Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials. When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right.”

Argentina completed a remarkable comeback from two goals down to defeat Egypt 3-2 and reach the quarterfinals. Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko scored for Egypt, while Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and Enzo Fernández found the net for the defending champions.

Why did Egypt complain about the officiating?

Egypt’s protests centered on two controversial moments during the Round of 16 clash, with Egypt’s head coach Hossam Hassan suggesting that refereeing decisions favored Lionel Messi and Argentina.

The first came when VAR disallowed what would have been Mostafa Ziko’s second goal after determining that Marwan Attia had committed a foul on Lisandro Martínez earlier in the attacking possession phase.

The second involved a penalty appeal late in the match after Mohamed Salah went down following contact with Julián Álvarez inside the penalty area, with both the referee and VAR allowing play to continue.

Collina explains FIFA’s interpretation of the incidents

Collina also explained why FIFA believed both decisions were correctly handled under the VAR protocol. “After every goal is scored, the VAR checks the attacking possession phase (APP). If a foul is identified in the build-up and is deemed to have had an impact on the goal, the VAR will recommend an on-field review. There is no defined limit regarding either the distance from goal or the amount of time between the incident and the goal.”

Referring specifically to the disallowed Egyptian goal, Collina stated that Marwan Attia’s challenge on Lisandro Martínez constituted a foul regardless of where it occurred during the attacking sequence.

Regarding Egypt’s penalty appeal, he added that FIFA’s officials considered the contact between Mohamed Salah and Julián Álvarez to be “normal football contact,” meaning neither the referee nor the VAR identified an infringement that warranted a penalty.

However, France national team head coach Didier Deschamps came to his countryman’s rescue with a powerful statement, which also served as a warning to the referee for Les Bleus‘ upcoming quarterfinal against Morocco at the 2026 World Cup.

“I hope the referee will be as good as Mr. Letexier and his assistants like in the match of Argentina and Egypt. My opponent is Morocco, not the referee,” Deschamps had to say about the officiating buzz at the 2026 World Cup during a press conference, via RMC Sport.

Who will officiate France vs Morocco?

Argentine Facundo Tello will be the match official when France and Morocco go head to head for a spot in the semifinals of the 2026 World Cup. Tello will be joined by fellow Argentines Juan Pablo Bellati and Gabriel Chade on the touchlines, as well as Dario Herrera (fourth official) and Cristian Navarro (reserve assistant referee).

With all five officials being Argentinians, it will be the first game at the 2026 World Cup to feature an on-field officiating crew from one country. Considering the recent rivalry between Argentina and France—dating back to the 2022 World Cup final—there is speculation surrounding the officiating decision.

In the VAR booth, Hernan Mastrangelo (from Argentina, as well) will be in charge, though joined by AVAR Leodan Gonzalez (Uruguay), SVAR Tatiana Guzman (Nicaragua), SBVAR Abdullah Alshehri (Saudi Arabia), and SBAVAR Mohammed Obaid Khadim (United Arab Emirates).

France take on Morocco

A deep dive into the designated crew helps explain why Deschamps said what he did about the refereeing. There were similar concerns about Letexier officiating Argentina’s game, but he handled it very well. If anything, Egypt were left with more to complain about than Argentina. Who knows? Maybe something similar happens when Les Bleus and the Atlas Lions collide at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

“The Egyptian Football Association cannot remain silent regarding the refereeing decisions witnessed during the match against Argentina as well as the failure to make appropriate use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system,” the EFA stated.

The EFA continued: “What occurred during the match has understandably generated widespread frustration among our players, staff, and supporters, who expected the highest standards of officiating on football’s biggest stage.“

The formal protest follows a fiery postgame press conference from Egypt manager Hossam Hassan, who accused officials of giving Argentina and Messi preferential treatment. The tension peaked at the end of regulation, capsulated by heated exchanges between the Egyptian coaching staff and the officiating crew on the pitch.

Egypt have reportedly filed a complaint to FIFA

According to Ismael Mahmoud of 365 Scores Arabic, with corroboration from transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Egypt have filed a formal complaint with FIFA protesting a series of highly controversial decisions during the knockout clash

Rather than requesting a formal match review or appeal of the 3-2 result—which saw Messi open up postgame about his emotional outpour—the EFA is directly targeting the referee’s eligibility for the remainder of the tournament, according to Mahmoud.

“He [Hany Abo Rida] demanded an investigation into controversial decisions against the Pharaohs and officially requested the exclusion of the French refereeing team from the rest of the tournament due to their crucial mistakes,“ Mahmoud added.

Mostafa Ziko claims tournament is ‘rigged’

Echoing his manager’s frustrations, Egyptian midfielder Mostafa Ziko blasted the officiating crew, going as far as to claim the World Cup is “rigged” in favor of Messi and Argentina. While debate rages over the match’s polarizing flashpoints, the reality remains that the reigning champions march on to defend their crown.

Ultimately, despite the bitter exit, Egypt turn their focus to the future after a highly impressive 2026 World Cup run. Led by talisman Mohamed Salah, the Pharaohs proved they could push the world’s elite to the absolute brink, even if the knockout stage provided a cruel end to their historic campaign.

Trailing 1-0 early in the match, Argentina were awarded a penalty against the African side. Uncharacteristically, Messi failed to convert from the spot—and despite his team’s eventual heroic comeback, that costly miss weighed heavily on the legendary forward throughout the night.

“I cried because I felt that I let my teammates down because of the penalty I missed… and the way I took it,” Messi said. “But thankfully once again, God had something special for me in the end. I’m very happy.”

Lionel Messi continues making World Cup history

By missing from twelve yards out, Messi etched his name into the record books for the wrong reasons with an unfortunate World Cup statistic. However, he quickly redeemed himself in the second half, assisting Cristian Romero for Argentina’s opening goal before netting his eighth goal of the tournament just minutes later to draw level.

With that strike, Messi achieved a feat not seen at the tournament since the 1930 World Cup. His goal also widened his lead over Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland at the top of the scoring charts, turning up the heat in an intense race for the Golden Boot.

Despite his heroic solo performance, Messi deflected praise to his teammates following the victory. The captain acknowledged it was a grueling, hard-fought win, emphasizing that every single player was crucial in keeping the dream of back-to-back World Cup titles alive.

Egypt voice fierce accusations

The drama didn’t end at the final whistle. After the match, Egypt manager Hossam Hassan openly accused match officials of favoring Messi and Argentina, claiming several controversial refereeing decisions directly caused the African side’s defeat.

Hassan was far from the only member of the Egyptian contingent fuming over the officiating. Mostafa Ziko also blasted the refereeing crew alleging that the game was ‘rigged’ to ensure Messi and Argentina advanced to the next round.

Needless to say, it was yet another record-setting outing for Messi, who’s accustomed fans across the globe to these kind of outings throughout the 2026 World Cup—and his entire career. Although Egypt coach Hossam Hassan accused Messi and Argentina of being favored, nothing can be taken from the multi-goal comeback La Albiceleste mounted, which Messi called “crazy” and praised his teammates for.

It wasn’t an easy game for Argentina nor Messi, who had to overcome adversity after Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir denied him from the penalty spot. After the game, an emotional Messi made his thoughts crystal clear.

“As I said, it was a huge moment of relief for everyone. I felt intense anger because of the penalty I wasted, and the way I took it,” Messi admitted to reporters in the mixed zone after the game. “I felt like I let the group down in an important moment. But fortunately, fate had something special in store for me in the end, and I was able to score the equalizer. That was an enormous relief and great joy for all of us. I’m so happy.”

The story behind Messi’s missed penalty

When the game was only 1-0 in Egypt‘s favor, Nicolas Tagliafico was tackled inside the box, handing Messi and Argentina a great chance to draw level. Up until that point, La Albiceleste had yet to put Egypt in much trouble. It felt like the perfect chance to get back into the game.

However, Shobeir’s intuition proved right as he guessed where Messi would place his shot. Since the Argentine didn’t put much power, height, or direction on the attempt, the goalkeeper made light work of the penalty. Once again, Messi missed a penalty at the 2026 World Cup, both times aiming to the goalkeeper’s left and shooting across his body.

Across his six World Cups, Messi has now taken eight penalties (excluding shootouts), but he has scored only half of them, missing the other four.

With Messi at the helm, Argentina move on

Still, even when Messi wasn’t at his best for Argentina, he came to the rescue. In the 83rd minute, he unleashed an absolute rocket on a half-volley that Shobeir got a hand to but couldn’t keep out of the net. As a result, Argentina are through to the next round, though their updated potential path to the 2026 World Cup final serves as a warning that they must address their defensive struggles.

“I’m going to say what I think regardless of the consequences, this match was clearly manipulated, and the whole world saw it,” Hassan stated during his fiery media session. “And I want to say one more thing: if they want Argentina to win it all so badly, why even bother calling on everyone else to come and participate?”

Hassan’s blistering allegations echoed the raw frustration of Egyptian midfielder Mostafa Ziko, who openly claimed the tournament was “rigged” for Messi and Argentina. The fury was sparked by a highly controversial sequence in the second half, where an apparent second goal for Egypt were contentiously wiped away by VAR for a soft foul in the buildup, paving the way for Enzo Fernandez to eventually hammer home Argentina’s dramatic, match-winning third goal.

While a relieved Argentina squad pivots toward the quarterfinals with their date and venue already set, the explosive comments from the Egyptian camp have cast a massive shadow over the match. Yet, despite the unfolding drama, the history books will simply reflect an astonishing, late-match comeback from the world champions.

Messi rides emotional rollercoaster in high-stakes thriller

Egypt caught the giants flat-footed early in the first half when Yasser Ibrahim connected on a brilliant header to open the scoring. Argentina had a golden opportunity to punch right back when they were awarded a penalty kick, but Lionel Messi uncharacteristically missed the spot-kick, burying the holders in an early hole.

The adversity deepened in the second half as Egypt struck again to take a stunning 2-0 lead, leaving a visibly frustrated Messi looking helpless against a resilient defense. The turning point finally arrived in the 79th minute when Cristian Romero found the back of the net to make it 2-1, breathing life back into the captain and his squad.

With momentum squarely on their side, Messi himself buried a loose rebound just minutes later to equalize, sending the Argentine bench and traveling support into absolute euphoria. The great escape was finalized deep in stoppage time when Fernandez struck the winner, prompting a wave of pure emotion from Messi, who was seen crying tears of relief on the pitch as the final whistle blew.

“This group never gives up, we fight until the very end,” Messi, who broke into tears after the win, said. “We managed to turn the game around—what this group did today is just crazy. I’m incredibly happy and so glad the fans can keep enjoying what we do.”

Messi spearheaded the frantic fightback, providing a crucial assist before netting his eighth goal of the tournament to level the score at 2-2 in a matter of minutes. Shortly after, a dramatic header from Enzo Fernandez sealed the 3-2 victory, punching Argentina’s ticket to the quarterfinals, where they now await their next opponent.

Lionel Messi acknowledges it has not been an easy World Cup

For many fans, the 2026 World Cup has been full of surprises due to the emergence of multiple dark horses. Lionel Messi shares that sentiment, confirming that the tournament has been a grueling test for the reigning defending champions.

“I’m so happy we qualified, things had gotten really difficult,” Messi added. “We suffered immensely once again, but this is the World Cup. Every single match is turning out this way.”

Egypt held a commanding 2-0 lead until the 79th minute, when Messi stepped up with a brilliant assist for Cristian Romero. Just four minutes later, the icon made World Cup history by netting his eighth goal of the tournament. Egypt had kept Argentina pinned against the wall for most of the match, until the La Albiceleste captain took matters into his own hands to spark the historic turnaround.

Argentina keep the dream alive

While Egypt’s coach voiced frustrations over favoritism towards Messi and Argentina, the reality remains that the South Americans advanced after the African side failed to protect a solid 2-0 advantage with less than 11 minutes remaining in regulation.

Now, Argentina await their next opponent in the quarterfinals. The dream of securing back-to-back World Cup titles remains firmly alive, but it will be a treacherous road ahead in one of the most fiercely competitive tournaments in recent history.

“No fair, no fair, referee no fair. Unjust… it is a clear and obvious injustice,” he said to the press once the game concluded. “He is wasting the effort of an entire country. From the very beginning of the match, he was against us. It’s not right to go out like this, losing 2-0 to Argentina. It’s a rigged tournament.”

Additionally, Ziko pointed directly at referee François Letexier: “I apologize to them (Egyptian fans). We wanted to make them happy today. We couldn’t do that, but I swear it wasn’t in our hands. It was in the referee’s hands. The tournament is obviously rigged anyway.”

The interview concluded with an ironic message: “Congratulations. Congratulations to Argentina on the World Cup, congratulations. We don’t need anything else from it, that’s it.“

The controversies behind Argentina’s victory over Egypt

Egypt felt aggrieved by the referee’s performance, particularly over a key decision involving a disallowed goal after VAR review. A foul on Lisandro Martinez before Mostafa Ziko’s finish forced referee François Letexier to reverse the decision and rule out the Pharaohs’ goal.

Argentina’s first, scored by Cristian Romero with a header, also appeared to involve controversy. However, the central defender was clearly onside, making the goal completely legitimate.

What’s next for Argentina?

Argentina’s historic comeback sent the Albiceleste back into the quarterfinals. Lionel Scaloni’s team will now face the winner of the match between Colombia and Switzerland.

The next round will be played on Saturday, July 11, at Kansas City Stadium, the same venue where Argentina began their World Cup campaign with a victory.

Trailing 2-0 in the 79th minute, Argentina found a miraculous path to victory spearheaded by Lionel Messi, who had previously missed a penalty against Egypt. The Argentine captain provided a crucial assist and then netted his eighth goal of the tournament to spectacularly level the score in less than four minutes.

Deep into stoppage time, Enzo Fernandez sealed the dramatic 3-2 victory for La Albiceleste with a terrific header. At the final whistle, Lionel Messi bursted into tears after anchoring one of the most epic comebacks in World Cup history. “He deserved to cry,” Lautaro Martinez said about Messi after the game. “Because he is our example, our guide, the one who helped us the most.”

Lionel Messi endured a nightmare start to the match

In the 15th minute, Egypt’s Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring following a lightning-fast counter-attack by the African side. Just six minutes later, Argentina were thrown a lifeline when they were awarded a penalty, but Lionel Messi uncharacteristically missed from the spot, making some unwanted history with the failed attempt.

Following a disastrous first half, Argentina threw everything forward in the final 45 minutes to level the score. However, another clinical counter-attack by Egypt culminated in a goal from Mostafa Ziko, extending their lead to 2-0 and leaving the South Americans facing an absolute mountain to climb.

Fortunately, Messi stepped up precisely when his country needed him most. The captain delivered a brilliant assist to Cristian “Cuti” Romero before finding the back of the net himself just four minutes later. With that strike—achieving a spectacular World Cup feat not seen since 1930—Messi single-handedly dragged his nation back onto level terms, setting the stage for Enzo Fernandez to win it just moments later.

Tom Brady left awestruck by Argentina’s historic turnaround

In the wake of the epic comeback, sports icons worldwide praised Argentina’s incredible resilience and performance. NFL legend Tom Brady even remarked that this spectacular fightback might eclipse his own iconic 28-3 Super Bowl comeback with the New England Patriots against the Atlanta Falcons.