FIFA’s top referee defends controversial Egypt-Argentina World Cup call as bias allegations swirl

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is delivering drama on and off the pitch. FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina stepped into the spotlight to defend a disallowed Egypt goal in Argentina’s narrow 3-2 victory during the round of 16, a match that has since become a lightning rod for accusations of referee bias.

Collina, the bald-headed Italian who is arguably the most famous referee in football history, confirmed that Marwan Attia’s goal was correctly overturned after VAR detected that Attia had stepped on the foot of Argentine defender Lisandro Martinez during the buildup. In Collina’s framing, the call was straightforward: “a foul is a foul.”

What actually happened on the pitch

Argentina edged past Egypt 3-2 in a match played on July 8-9, 2026, advancing to the quarter-finals in the process.

Attia found the back of the net for Egypt in what would have been a crucial goal. VAR intervened, reviewing the entire attacking phase leading up to the strike. The technology flagged contact between Attia and Martinez, specifically Attia stepping on the Argentine defender’s foot.

The Egyptian side raised concerns about what they characterized as “serious” officiating mistakes throughout the match. A separate incident involving Mohamed Salah also drew scrutiny, with Egypt questioning whether contact on the Liverpool star should have warranted a foul call.

Collina addressed this too, classifying the Salah incident as normal contact.

Collina pushes back on bias claims

Collina was direct in dismissing the bias narrative. He emphasized that officiating standards are maintained independently of any external influence, including from Infantino himself.

He also took the opportunity to explain how VAR actually works in these situations. VAR’s review encompasses the entire attacking phase leading to a goal. There are no time restrictions on how far back the technology can look. If a foul occurs at any point during the buildup, even moments before the ball crosses the line, VAR has the authority to flag it.

In this case, the rewind caught Attia’s foot on Martinez.

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