Argentina's 3-2 comeback vs. Egypt: VAR controversy, Messi's record, and Hossam Hassan's Palestine appeal

The VAR flashpoint and accusations of a 'fix'

The pivotal controversy occurred in the 67th minute while Egypt led 1-0. Mostafa Ziko finished a brilliant Egypt move, only for the goal to be disallowed after a VAR review. According to reports, the review found a foul in the buildup by Egypt defender Marwan Attia on Argentina's Lisandro Martínez .

The decision enraged the Egyptian bench. The controversy deepened when Egypt appealed for a stoppage-time penalty for an incident involving Mohamed Salah shortly before Argentina broke away and scored the winner — a penalty that was not awarded .

• Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said his team had been "denied justice" and claimed officials showed pro-Argentina and pro-Messi bias .
• The Egyptian Football Federation lodged a formal complaint with FIFA, requesting the entire officiating crew be excluded from the remainder of the tournament and seeking an inquiry into "serious officiating errors and double standards" .
• Social media and pundits broadly criticized the officiating, with many arguing that VAR was applied inconsistently .

Hossam Hassan's appeal for Palestine

Days before the match, Hossam Hassan used an official FIFA press conference to make an impassioned appeal for the Palestinian people, saying "if there is someone who has not felt the suffering of the Palestinian people then he or she has no humanity" . He called on athletes and journalists worldwide to help support Palestinian civilians and called the suffering "a shame on the world" .

Hassan had previously waved a Palestinian flag after Egypt's penalty-shootout win over Australia in the Round of 32 and dedicated that victory to the Palestinian people . Reuters noted that while FIFA rules ban political slogans on equipment, no similar rule governs press-conference statements .

Messi's record streak and Golden Boot race

Lionel Messi scored Argentina's second goal in the 83rd minute, marking his ninth consecutive World Cup match with a goal — a record streak dating back to the 2022 tournament . The goal brought his tournament total to eight goals, moving him back atop the Golden Boot race ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, who both had seven . Messi also missed a penalty earlier in the match before scoring .

Argentina's quarterfinal: vs. Switzerland

Argentina will face Switzerland in the quarterfinals. The match is scheduled for Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 9 p.m. ET at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City . Switzerland reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954 by defeating Colombia 4-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw .