Egypt's Ziko Claims FIFA Rigged World Cup for Argentina

Mostafa Ziko, an Egyptian forward, expressed his frustration following Egypt's 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He accused FIFA of rigging the tournament to favor Argentina, sarcastically congratulating the team on their victory.

Ziko criticized the officiating by referee Francois Letexier, particularly regarding the disallowance of his goal in the 58th minute due to a foul by Lisandro Martinez. He argued that there were two fouls leading to Argentina's winning goal scored by Enzo Fernandez in stoppage time.

The match saw Argentina come back from a two-goal deficit, with Lionel Messi missing a penalty early on but later contributing significantly by assisting Cristian Romero and scoring himself. Ziko's comments reflect the controversy surrounding the referee's decisions, which he deemed unfair.