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Mostafa Ziko Calls the World Cup 'Rigged' After Egypt's Loss to Argentina
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- Mostafa Ziko Calls the World Cup 'Rigged' After Egypt's Loss to Argentina
Egypt were eliminated from the World Cup in a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Argentina despite putting up a heroic fight against the defending champions.
The Pharaohs came close to taking what many believed was Argentina's rightful place in the quarterfinals after going two goals up through Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico.
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Lionel Messi had the chance to level the score in the first half after Enzo Fernández was fouled by Haissem Hassan inside the box.
To the surprise of fans, Messi's 21st-minute penalty was saved by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, who then made crucial stops to deny dangerous efforts from Alexis Mac Allister and Julián Álvarez.
In the second half, Zico thought he had added another goal, but it was ruled out following a controversial VAR review that spotted a foul in the buildup.
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Zico responded almost immediately, finding the back of the net again in the 67th minute to make it 2-0. Lionel Scaloni's men then mounted a dramatic comeback, scoring in the 79th and 83rd minutes, with Lionel Messi slotting home the equalizer.
Mostafa Zico celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt.Photo by Steph Chambers - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images
Enzo Fernández completed the historic comeback in the 92nd minute, sending the Pharaohs crashing out of the World Cup after they came agonizingly close to pulling off one of the tournament's biggest upsets.
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Zico Lashes Out at Referee
After the match, an emotional Zico questioned several decisions made during the game, claiming they took the match away from Egypt.
"The referee wasn't good, he was unfair. His injustice was clear. He persecuted us from the start of the match. He doesn't want us to win."
The midfielder also accused the referee of favoring Argentina and described the match as "rigged."
"It was a rigged game. It wasn't our fault. That referee... it seems like this match was rigged.We were winning 2-0, and he kept coming at us.
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Congratulations to Argentina on another World Cup, it seems."
Argentina will now face the winner of Colombia vs. Switzerland in the quartefinals.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Soccer section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
