Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterEgypt superstar Mostafa Ziko has questioned FIFA's integrity after his nation endured a controversial 3-2 loss against Argentina.The Pharaohs surged into a 2-0 lead, however, prior to their second goal, they had another ruled out by VAR intervention.The move was stellar: a Haissem Hassan solo run, to a Mohamed Salah trivela, to a Mostafa Ziko finish, but the effort was ruled out after VAR deemed there to have been a foul in the build-up.PLAY our FREE World Cup scores predictor HERE and WIN �1KMostafa Ziko slams FIFA, makes 'rigged' allegation against Lionel Messi's ArgentinaLisandro Martinez was the aggrieved party, with the referee ruling him to have been fouled prior to Ziko's strike.Later, that same trio of Egypt stars combined again, with Ziko also adding the finishing touch, taking a 2-0 lead. You may like How to watch Argentina vs Egypt for FREE Who is Francois Letexier? The referee for Argentina vs Egypt Argentina vs Egypt prediction as Messi looks to reach World Cup quarter finals The game's controversial refereeing was not limited to merely one event, with a range of talking points emerging post-match.First was Egypt's disallowed goal, then two separate penalty claims in the build-up to Argentina's third and winning strike, and talks of a possible red card were brought up from the game's early stages.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Another incident was a foul awarded on Leandro Paredes, inflicted by Salah, which denied the Egyptian a clean sight on goal.Ziko discussed the match's events with BBC shortly after the whistle, and claimed: "The referee was really not fair. Not fair. The injustice was clear."We did a good job in the early stages of the match. There's been an unfairness right from the start... a 2-0 lead isn't enough to beat Argentina.""It's clear that this tournament has been fixed." Egypt's Mostafa Zico was not happy with some of the decisions in their game against Argentina. pic.twitter.com/VbDdFbkRBCJuly 7, 2026Through tears, Ziko stated: "This tournament has been fixed. But God is sufficient for us."[God is] the best disposer of affairs. He's wasting the efforts of an entire nation. The cup is being given to Argentina," he concluded.Argentina, who were taken to the wire by Egypt and Cape Verde, will face the winner of Colombia vs Switzerland in the tournament's quarter-finals.TOPICSEgyptArgentinaKedar BayleySocial Links NavigationFreelance WriterKedar Bayley is a trained journalist specialising in culture reporting. As a fan of Liverpool FC,he writes on the Reds often. Knowledgable about all things sports, cinema and television,you can find his words in Screen International, FourFourTwo, Manchester Evening News and more.
