Argentina’s World Cup defence lurched into the quarter-finals on a wave of controversy after a stoppage-time winner from Enzo Fernández completed a 3-2 comeback against Egypt in Atlanta. The Round of 16 tie turned on two interventions by French referee François Letexier: a VAR review that disallowed a second-half goal by Egypt’s Mostafa Ziko for a shirt-pull on Lisandro Martínez, and a waved-away penalty appeal when Mohamed Salah went down in the area. Trailing 2-0 with fifteen minutes remaining, Argentina scored through Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Fernández to snatch a victory that prompted the Egyptian Football Association to lodge a formal complaint with FIFA and demand the referee’s permanent expulsion. Egypt’s coach, Hossam Hassan, alleged that commercial interests were protecting Messi’s presence in the tournament.

Speaking in Kansas City ahead of Saturday’s quarter-final against Switzerland, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni rejected the favouritism narrative, insisting that the criticism had become a source of motivation. “We use the criticism or the comments that are made to rebel,” he said. “To stage a rebellion and make the players play even better.” Scaloni pointed out that similar accusations had followed Argentina since the 1986 World Cup, and argued that the video assistant referee system made systematic bias impossible. “With VAR, it’s very hard for them to help you,” he said. “There’s no double interpretation.” In Madrid and Paris, the national team coaches of Spain and France publicly defended the officiating. Luis de la Fuente said he “thought the referee got everything right”, while Didier Deschamps expressed confidence that his own side’s quarter-final officials would be “as good as Monsieur Letexier”.

Scaloni also revealed a practical advantage from topping Group J: a less punishing travel schedule. Had Argentina finished second, he noted, the squad would have crisscrossed the United States and even travelled to Canada. Instead, they have been spared the worst of the logistical strain, though he recounted one occasion when a baggage issue delayed their flight and they arrived at their hotel at 4 a.m. The coach said he was leaning towards repeating the lineup that faced Egypt, with Leandro Paredes and Alexis Mac Allister again likely to start, and he described the team’s late rally as one of the most powerful moments of his tenure. “I would like this national team to be remembered as a team that never gave up,” he said.

On Messi, who has scored eight goals in the tournament and missed two penalties, Scaloni was unequivocal: the captain would continue to take spot-kicks if he wished. “Let him do whatever he wants out on the pitch,” he said. The 39-year-old forward, now the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history with 21 goals, returns to Arrowhead Stadium, where he opened the tournament with a hat-trick against Algeria. Switzerland, who eliminated Colombia in the previous round, are described by Scaloni as a physically imposing side with experienced players and a long World Cup pedigree. The winner will face England or Norway in the semi-finals.