Argentina’s defence of the World Cup survived an almighty scare in Atlanta, where they overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Egypt 3-2 in the round of 16. Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Ziko had given the Pharaohs a commanding lead, and Lionel Messi saw a first-half penalty saved by Mostafa Shobeir. Yet the champions roused themselves in the final eleven minutes: Cristian Romero headed in a Messi free-kick, Messi equalised from close range, and deep into added time Enzo Fernández nodded home a Lautaro Martínez cross to snatch a quarter-final place.

Egyptian fury, however, had been building long before the final whistle. The visitors believed they were denied a second goal when Ziko’s finish was ruled out after a VAR review for a foul on Lisandro Martínez, and they appealed in vain for a penalty on Mohamed Salah moments before Argentina’s winner. Coach Hossam Hassan, already booked for protesting, made FIFA’s official anti-racism gesture — crossing his wrists in an X — to alert referee François Letexier to alleged abuse from the crowd, but the official did not activate the three-step protocol. Egyptian media and Arab commentators later described the officiating as a “robbery in broad daylight”, while the Egyptian Football Association lodged a formal complaint with FIFA demanding an investigation into the refereeing team.

The rancour spilled into the tunnel. Video footage showed Hassan pursuing Scaloni, shouting at the Argentine coach, who walked on without responding until a FIFA liaison stepped between them. Earlier, Hassan had been seen spitting towards a fan waving an Israeli flag and pointing emphatically at the Egyptian crest on his shirt — a gesture that, viewed from Cairo, was widely interpreted as a political statement, given his pre-match declaration of solidarity with the Palestinian cause. In his press conference, Hassan did not hold back: “I will say what I think regardless of consequence. This was clearly a rigged match and the whole world saw it. If they want Argentina to win so badly, why call everyone to participate?”

For Argentina, the immediate focus shifts to a quarter-final against Switzerland, who eliminated Colombia on penalties. The squad, according to sources close to the camp, is determined to put the controversy behind them, but the episode has already drawn scrutiny from FIFA’s disciplinary bodies. While the South American side prepare for the next challenge, the fallout from a night of high drama in Georgia is likely to reverberate well beyond the pitch.