The Egyptian Football Association on Wednesday criticised refereeing decisions in Egypt's dramatic 3-2 World Cup round-of-16 defeat by Argentina, saying it would not remain silent over what it described as the improper use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.
Egypt's players and Coach Hossam Hassan blasted FIFA and accused the governing body of blatantly 'favouring' Lionel Messi and his team.
Letexier will be joined at Sunday's final by French assistants Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni, while Szymon Marciniak (Poland) will be fourth official.
Egypt's national football coach, Hossam Hassan, has vehemently blamed 'unfair' refereeing decisions and 'external factors' for his team's dramatic World Cup elimination by Argentina, stating he will no longer watch the tournament.
FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina has staunchly defended the officiating in Argentina's 3-2 World Cup victory over Egypt, dismissing allegations of bias and asserting that match officials operated with complete independence, despite Egypt's complaints about unfair treatment.
Vinicius Jr scored a sublime second-half winner as Real Madrid beat Benfica 1-0 in their Champions League playoff first leg on Tuesday, which was halted for 11 match under FIFA's anti-racism protocol.
A former FIFA referee has questioned the new VAR protocol after fresh controversy involving Argentina, warning that fan confidence in World Cup officiating has been "completely eroded."
The 2026 World Cup has been marred by widespread controversy surrounding the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, with coaches, players, and fans criticising its application, consistency, and impact on match outcomes, leading to a significant increase in interventions and red cards.
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe said Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni should be banned from the Champions League after the Argentine was accused of directing a racist slur at Vinicius Jr.
UEFA has provisionally suspended Benfica's Gianluca Prestianni for one match following allegations of a racist slur directed at Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. during a Champions League match.
23-year-old Brazilian forward, signed from Brighton & Hove Albion for 60 million pounds ($81.5 million) last week, stars in victory over boyhood club Fluminense
A round-up of Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg between Real Madrid and Arsenal, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
A summary of Thursday's second leg quarter-final matches in the Europa League.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
