Argentina completed a remarkable 3-2 comeback against Egypt in the round of 16 of the World Cup, but the victory was marred by accusations of match-fixing from furious fans. The match, held in Atlanta, saw Argentina trailing 1-0 after Lionel Messi missed an early penalty. Mostafa Ziko thought he had doubled Egypt's lead in the second half, but VAR intervened to disallow the goal after determining that Lisandro Martinez had been fouled in the build-up, an incident that occurred over 20 seconds before Ziko scored.
Social Media Erupts with Claims of Corruption
The decision sparked a torrent of criticism on social media, particularly on X (formerly Twitter). One supporter wrote: "This tournament is rigged. Corruption at display, robbing Egypt of the goal." Another added: "Rigged like always." A third user claimed: "The World Cup is rigged for Messi." The disallowed goal came after Egyptian celebrations, and referee Francois Letexier was summoned to the monitor following protests from Argentine players.
Messi's Stunning Volley and Fernandez's Header Seal Win
Shortly after Egypt's second goal—which was allowed six minutes later—Messi unleashed a stunning volley to level the score at 2-2. In stoppage time, Enzo Fernandez headed home to complete the comeback, securing a 3-2 victory that many are calling one of the most extraordinary World Cup comebacks in living memory. The winning goal sparked a melee on the touchline, with Egyptian staff furious that a penalty was not awarded when Mohamed Salah went down in the Argentina box just before the goal. The referee did not intervene, and no VAR review was conducted.
Chaos Erupts After Final Whistle
In the aftermath, one of Egypt's coaches was shown a red card and responded by venturing onto the pitch to remonstrate with Argentine players. Hamdi Fathy, Mostafa Shobeir, and head coach Hossam Hassan were also booked during the unsavoury scenes. Argentina, spearheaded by Lionel Messi, remain one of the biggest attractions at the tournament, but the controversy has overshadowed their progression to the quarter-finals.
