
Egypt striker Mostafa Zico has reacted strongly after their dramatic elimination from the 2026 World Cup, accusing referee François Letexier of bias during the match against Argentina.
Egypt were very close to one of the biggest surprises of the tournament, leading 2-0 against the reigning world champions, but Argentina overturned everything and won 3-2 in the final minutes.
After the match, Zico praised his team's performance, but harshly criticized the French referee's decisions.
"We were fantastic against the reigning world champions. But referee François Letexier was definitely biased from the start of the match. He constantly tried to stop us and wanted to lock us up on the pitch," Zico declared.
The Egyptian striker went even further with his accusations, implying that the tournament favors Argentina.
"Congratulations to Argentina for the World Cup, but this tournament is rigged. They don't need any more help. The referee was unfair, unfair, unfair," he said.
Zico's statements come after a match filled with controversy, where Egypt lost a two-goal advantage and were eliminated after an extraordinary upset by Argentina.