The referee for the Argentina vs Egypt match, Francois Letexier, and other match officials are in focus after what transpired in a dramatic FIFA World Cup 2026 clash on Tuesday. Egypt appeared close to a historic upset after taking a 2-0 lead. Argentina produced a late comeback starting in the 79th minute, with Lionel Messi playing a decisive role by scoring one goal and setting up another before Enzo Fernandez completed the turnaround in stoppage time. However, Mohamed Salah’s Egypt were furious with some crucial decisions by the officials going against the team, including a disallowed goal following a VAR review and a penalty appeal that was not reviewed in the buildup to Argentina’s winning goal.
The Egyptian Football Federation (EFF) has reportedly approached FIFA, lodging a formal protest against the decisions of referee Francois Letexier. According to a report in Spanish publication Diario AS, the president of the Egypt Football Association, Hany Abo Rida, has lodged a formal complaint with FIFA against French referee Francois Letexier and his officiating team.
The report further states that the complaint calls for an investigation into what Egypt describes as controversial decisions that went against the Pharaohs. The federation has also officially requested that the French officiating team be removed from the remainder of the tournament because of what it considers crucial errors.
Now, according to a report by L’Equipe, the Frenchman’s performance “will be reviewed, and FIFA’s refereeing officials will decide, based on his technical performance, the officials’ reports, and the disputed video footage, whether he will continue in this World Cup.”
However, the report added that the complaint may not succeed, as a country/member association “cannot exercise a veto over the appointment of the refereeing body, which falls under the purview of the FIFA Referees Committee.”
Past instances
Though requests and complaints like Egypt’s have been made at past FIFA World Cups, they did not result in a referee being excluded. However, in 2002, Italy complained against Ecuadorian referee Byron Moreno after the Round of 16 match against South Korea (1-2). He had awarded 15 minutes of added time, and the Azzurri lost. After that match, he did not officiate any other game in that competition, but FIFA never officially clarified whether it was due to the Italian protests.
Francois Letexier officiated the Euro 2024 final between Spain and England. He has also been voted the world’s best referee by the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics)