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Explained: Egypt vs Argentina World Cup VAR drama; why coach claimed 'injustice'
If a potential clear and obvious error is identified, the VAR team issues an alert, but the final decision always remains with the referee
- PUBLISHED: Wed 8 Jul 2026, 9:48 AM
For most Egyptian fans watching their national team play against World Cup champion Argentina in a knockout World Cup drama on Tuesday, July 7, Egypt's defeat was not the result of the players' bad performance on the pitch—it was the VAR and the referee's decisions.
Egypt's team was left furious after a number of controversial calls went against them, including a disallowed second-half goal, and a member of their coaching staff was red-carded after the winning goal.
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The knockout controversy was not the first time the VAR had been at the centre of several debates during the closely-watched tournament hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. In the Iran vs Egypt match during the group stage, a late goal for the Iranian team was ruled out by VAR for offside in the buildup. And during the Englad vs Ghana game, the African team appealed for a penalty after a challenge inside the box, but VAR did not overturn the referee’s decision.
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So what is VAR and how does it work?
What is VAR?
The video assistant referee (VAR) system is a refereeing support tool that enables clear and obvious errors during a match to be checked, reviewed and corrected. Introduced by Fifa, the global football governing body, and now used in over 300 competitions worldwide, the system is intended to ensure that the right outcome is reached in key situations.
Using the VAR for the first time during the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia marked a significant milestone in the evolution of football officiating, according to Fifa.
How does it work?
During each match, a dedicated team of video match officials (VARs) based in the video operation room (VOR) can speak directly with the referee via an audio communication system.
The VAR system is only used in relation to up to five types of situations (four as standard, with the fifth being a competition option in use at the Fifa World Cup 2026):
Goals (including offences in the build-up)
Penalty decisions (including offences in the build-up)
Red-card incidents (including a clearly incorrect second caution)
Cases of mistaken identity
Clearly incorrectly awarded corner kicks if the decision can be changed immediately and without delaying the restart (added to be used during this World Cup)
The team of VARs continuously monitor the match, and every key incident pertaining to the relevant situations is checked without interrupting play. If a potential clear and obvious error is identified, the referee is alerted and either provided with evidence to make a factual decision or called for an on-field review (OFR) for incidents that require assessment and a subjective decision.
The final decision always remains with the referee.
What happened during Egypt vs Argentina clash
Egypt had a Mostafa Zico goal ruled out when they were leading 1-0, VAR intervened to spot a foul on Argentina player Lisandro Martinez much earlier in the move.
The controversy did not end there, though, as in the build-up to Argentina's winner scored by Enzo Fernandez, Egypt believe they should have instead been awarded a penalty for a pull by Alexis Mac Allister on Hamdy Fathy.
Many other decisions by French referee, François Letexier, who officiated the match, were met with harsh criticisms from the Egyptian team.
What Egypt coach said
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan claimed his side had been "cheated" out of a place in the World Cup quarter-finals and criticised the referee's decisions throughtout the game. In an explosive press conference following the clash, Hassan claimed there was no respect or fair play, announcing his decision to boycott what remains of this World Cup as a result. "This is my own way of speaking up," he said.
I do not want to put it nicely and talk about hard luck. We have been cheated unfairly today, we have suffered injustice
Hossam Hassan
Hassan has also fiercely blasted on Fifa and its current head Gianni Infantino, whom he said has ruined the game. "Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running," he told BeIn Sports.
A penalty was ruled out, was not even checked by VAR. A second goal was remarkably disallowed. There has not even been a VAR check when we have all seen the image of the (shirt) being pulled back
Egypt Coach Hossam Hassan
What Argentina said
Following the match, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni did not comment on the Egyptian crisitcism of the referee's decisions or how VAR managed the match. Instead, he insisted he never felt the game had slipped away from Argentina despite Egypt's two-goal advantage for almost 80 minutes.
"I always felt the game was on our side. Beyond the result, I don't think the team was playing badly. We had chances," he said.
Scaloni stressed that Tuesday's performance marked a significant improvement from the previous round, when Argentina needed 120 minutes to defeat Cape Verde 3-2 and showed signs of vulnerability in a gruelling physical test.
Scaloni also praised his 39-year-old captain Lionel Messi, who missed a penalty in the first half and was also seen crying after inspiring the comeback with a goal and an assist.
Despite the controversy, Argentina managed to achieve an astounding comeback during the game and went from 2-0 down to 3-2 up in about 13–14 minutes of match time.
(With inputs from AFP)
Yasmin Hussein is an Assistant Digital Editor who believes that every news story carries a human element. Her motto is 'get it first, but first get it right'.