Hossam Hassan, the passionate coach of Egypt, expressed his frustration to the media following his team’s heart-wrenching 3-2 defeat against Argentina in the knockout stage. The iconic striker turned coach was moments away from achieving one of the most remarkable upsets in World Cup history, as the Pharaohs led 2-0 against the reigning champions. However, Argentina mounted an incredible comeback, scoring three goals in just 13 minutes, abruptly ending Egypt’s fairytale run.
The match was an emotional upheaval for Egyptian fans, who experienced the thrill of potential victory followed by profound heartbreak. This disappointment was compounded by widespread outrage regarding what many perceived to be biased refereeing decisions favoring Argentina. During the game, Hassan made a crossed “Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition?” gesture, the official anti-discrimination symbol of Fifa, and later accused the organization of wanting Argentina to triumph. He claimed Egypt was unjustly denied a second goal at 1-0 due to a video assistant referee (VAR) review for a foul that occurred far from the play, and insisted a penalty should have been awarded before Enzo Fernández netted Argentina’s decisive third goal.
“Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running?” Hassan remarked in an interview with Qatari broadcaster beIN Sports after the match. “The World Cup was promised to Messi 3000 years ago,”
Hassan’s comments ignited a wave of conspiracy theories and corruption allegations in the wake of Egypt’s defeat. The French referee François Letexier became the target of intense scrutiny, with some restaurants and cafes announcing bans on him due to his role in the match. His Wikipedia page was even vandalized to falsely label him as Jewish, fueling outrage among fans who believed Egypt’s loss was part of a larger conspiracy linked to Hassan’s vocal support for Palestine during the tournament.
As Argentina advanced, the conspiracy theories intensified. Reports surfaced that the Argentinian football federation and its president were under FBI investigation for alleged money laundering. Moreover, a contentious VAR decision in the quarter-finals, which resulted in the ejection of Switzerland’s top striker, further fueled accusations of corruption and match-fixing surrounding Argentina.
“unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable” read an Instagram post featuring a montage of Argentina’s star during visits to Israel with Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, garnering nearly 15,000 likes. Another post that claimed “left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game” received over 275,000 likes, while a petition demanding Argentina’s disqualification from Fifa gained the support of more than 12 million signatories.
VAR technology has been central to numerous controversies throughout the tournament. Many critics argue that VAR is applied inconsistently and is being utilized in situations beyond its intended purpose. This has led to contentious decisions, such as Egypt’s disallowed goal against Argentina and Croatia’s goal being ruled offside against Portugal due to an imperceptible touch detected by the ball’s sensor.
A particularly contentious moment arose when United States striker Folarin Balogun was shown a red card after a VAR review for a foul that the referee had missed during the game. The situation escalated when Fifa rescinded Balogun’s one-match suspension following intervention from Donald Trump, who later boasted about his influence in restoring Balogun to the field. Given Fifa’s previous statements asserting that red card suspensions were not subject to appeal, this abrupt reversal raised serious questions about the integrity and fairness of the tournament.
Fifa, often criticized for its corruption, appeared to be under political pressure from a leader of one of the tournament’s host nations. Uefa condemned the decision regarding Balogun as “corrupt refereeing decisions” while the International Olympic Committee is reportedly considering an investigation into whether Fifa president Gianni Infantino violated its political neutrality rules.
The Balogun incident is not without precedent; in November 2025, Fifa suspended part of Cristiano Ronaldo’s ban stemming from a red card during Portugal’s World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland, allowing him to participate in their initial group-stage matches. This rare act of leniency highlighted Fifa’s willingness to accommodate one of its marquee players, particularly one capable of driving ticket sales. With Fifa having implemented dynamic pricing for this World Cup, which adjusts ticket costs based on real-time demand, questions about the tournament’s integrity have understandably arisen.
Compounding the situation, a surge of AI-generated images and videos circulating on social media has contributed to widespread disinformation regarding the tournament. One manipulated image depicted a man resembling Adolf Hitler celebrating a goal against Curaçao, while another showed outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer donning a Croatia jersey. Additionally, an image surfaced of an Iranian footballer honoring the 168 school girls killed by a US airstrike by holding a pink backpack during a match. Another doctored video featured Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman purportedly launching into a racist tirade following Morocco’s victory over his team in penalties.
These altered images and videos exploit viewers’ emotions, blurring the lines between reality and fiction, while perpetuating a cycle of outrage fueled by racism, xenophobia, and disinformation. In certain instances, these fake posts may exploit legitimate concerns, feeding into a politically polarized atmosphere and the everyday injustices many individuals face.
Leading up to the World Cup, Infantino publicly praised Trump, despite the US president’s controversial policies regarding the Iran war, strained international relations with fellow World Cup co-hosts, and intensified immigration enforcement. Infantino even created a peace prize to placate Trump after he was overlooked for the Nobel Peace Prize. For Infantino, the US represents the pinnacle of his new football era, a market capable of generating unprecedented revenue and excitement, while disregarding Fifa’s own ethical standards.
Due to US visa restrictions, Iran’s team had to travel between their training base in Mexico and the US for matches, leading players to describe their tournament experience as a “disaster.” Thus, when Iran failed to advance to the knockout stage, coinciding with one of the host nations engaging in military actions against their country, many perceived it as an egregious injustice. These feelings were further intensified by the Balogun incident, making the emergence of conspiracy theories unsurprising.
The context surrounding the Egypt-Argentina game cannot be ignored. The Egyptian national team became a symbol of collective joy not only for Egyptians but for millions across the Arab world and the African continent. After Egypt’s last-32 win, Hassan raised a Palestinian flag, stating that anyone lacking empathy for the Palestinian people had lost their humanity. The Egyptian Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza organized public viewing parties for displaced Palestinian families to watch Egypt’s matches, and tragically, the committee’s director, Mohammed Fawaz al-Wahidi, was killed in an Israeli airstrike just hours before Egypt faced Argentina.
For a fleeting moment, Egypt’s journey represented more than just football—it embodied the aspirations and hopes of some of the world’s most marginalized communities. Consequently, when Egypt relinquished their lead against Argentina amid contentious officiating, the anguish and frustration felt by many ran far deeper than the mere outcome of the match. For individuals accustomed to enduring injustice, this experience served as yet another painful reminder that even on the grandest sporting stage, the rules do not apply equally to all.
Following the match, the Egyptian Football Association stated that it “cannot remain silent” in light of a series of refereeing decisions that “raised serious questions about the consistency and fairness of calls that directly affected the match’s outcome.” Meanwhile, allegations of corruption escalated, culminating in a cyber-attack on the Argentinian federation, where hackers sent emails from official accounts admitting to “corrupt refereeing decisions.” Conspiracy theories proliferated across social media, asserting that the game had been rigged. Consequently, Argentina emerged as a controversial figure.
The World Cup does not exist in isolation. In reality, football reflects societal dynamics, for better or worse. The conspiracy theories surrounding this tournament are not isolated incidents; they are indicative of more extensive societal issues, including the influence of social media, economic instability, and political division. The parallels can be drawn to movements such as QAnon, anti-vaccine conspiracies, and the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia.
The World Cup magnifies these tensions, presenting them on the grandest of stages. In doing so, football becomes a reflection of the world that observes it.
- Karim Zidan writes a regular newsletter on the intersection of sports and politics.
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