FIFA Rejects Claims of Referee Bias in Favour of Argentina at 2026 World Cup
FIFA’s chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, has strongly dismissed allegations that match officials have been favouring Argentina during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The claims emerged after Egypt’s dramatic round-of-16 defeat to Argentina, with Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan accusing the refereeing team of being influenced during the match.
Hassan was left frustrated after a goal scored by Egypt was ruled out, while he also believed his side should have been awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time before Argentina went on to score the winning goal. Following the match, he claimed there had been “pressure” on French referee François Letexier and described the result as “unfair.”
Responding to the accusations, Collina insisted that FIFA referees operate independently and are not influenced by anyone, including FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“Nobody can claim that FIFA refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA president Gianni Infantino. He has always shown his full support for FIFA Team One while trusting us to work with complete independence.”
Collina also defended the integrity of match officials, stressing that referees, like players and coaches, always strive to make the correct decisions during games.
“Match officials make honest decisions and, just like players and coaches, they always try to do their best. Of course, constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport.”
FIFA’s response comes amid growing debate over officiating standards at the 2026 World Cup, but the governing body has maintained that its referees remain independent and committed to making fair decisions throughout the tournament.
