ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Egypt head coach, Hossam Hassan, has said his side suffered “injustice” in their World Cup Round of 16 defeat to Argentina, and declared he would not follow the remainder of the tournament as a result.

Argentina came from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 in Atlanta on Tuesday, with Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi cancelling out Egypt’s early lead before Enzo Fernandez struck deep into stoppage time to send the defending champions into the quarter-finals.

Speaking after the match, through FIFA’s official translation, Hassan said the outcome went beyond the result on the pitch.

“I think the effect of this outcome goes beyond the defeated seat. We haven’t seen respect nor fair play.

“I’m not convinced with this outcome, with the way things unfolded in this match. I do not want to try to put it nicely with beautiful wording, selective words, saying hard luck and so and so forth. We’ve been treated unfairly today. We’ve suffered injustice,” he said.

He added that he believed there were issues both on and off the pitch that needed scrutiny.

“There are a lot of things to be questioned on and off the pitch, negative aspects all around,” Hassan said.

Hassan said he would not be watching any further matches at the tournament following Egypt’s exit.

The Round of 16 finish was Egypt’s best World Cup outing since 1934, and came at the country’s first appearance at the tournament since 2018.

Hassan’s comments followed a heated exchange with French referee, Francois Letexier, at the final whistle, during which the Egyptian coach suggested the official had “something to hide.”

Egypt had led 2-0 before Argentina’s comeback, and were aggrieved by two decisions in particular — a goal ruled out following a VAR review, and a non-review of a challenge inside the penalty area involving captain Mohamed Salah late in the match.

Egypt’s players echoed Hassan’s frustration after the game, with several accusing the referee of bias, though FIFA is yet to issue a formal response to the allegations.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Switzerland booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals after defeating Colombia 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shootout following a goalless 120 minutes in their Round of 16 clash at BC Place in Vancouver.

The two sides, on Tuesday, failed to find a breakthrough during regulation or extra time despite creating several opportunities.

Colombia came closest through Jhon Lucumí, whose effort struck the crossbar, while Switzerland threatened through Zeki Amdouni and Ruben Vargas, but neither side could break the deadlock.

In the shootout, Switzerland held their nerve to prevail 4-3, sealing their place in the last eight where they will face defending champions, Argentina.

The victory completes the quarter-final lineup after a tense and evenly contested encounter that was decided only from the penalty spot.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Lionel Messi continued his remarkable run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, scoring again as Argentina came from behind to defeat Egypt 3-2 in a dramatic Round of 16 clash.

The Argentina captain found the net against the Pharaohs to extend his scoring streak at the tournament to five consecutive matches.

Combined with his final four appearances at the 2022 World Cup, Messi has now scored in nine straight World Cup matches, setting a new record in the history of the competition.

The 39-year-old had previously equalled the mark against Austria before moving clear with his goal against Egypt.

Messi Equals Stábile’s 1930 Record

Messi’s goal against Egypt was his eighth of the 2026 tournament, drawing him level with Argentine great Guillermo Stábile for the most goals scored by an Argentina player at a single FIFA World Cup.

Stábile set the long-standing record at the inaugural World Cup in 1930.

Despite the difference in tournament formats between 1930 and the modern competition, both players reached the eight-goal mark in just five matches.

Messi began his 2026 campaign with a hat-trick against Algeria before scoring another treble against Austria. He later added goals against Jordan, Cape Verde and Egypt to take his tally to eight.

Stábile, on the other hand, scored three times against Mexico, twice against Chile, two more in the semi-final against the United States and once in the final against Uruguay.

The strike against Egypt also added another country to the list of nations Messi has scored against at the World Cup.

No player has scored against more different national teams in World Cup history than the Argentine captain, with Egypt becoming the latest side to concede against him on football’s biggest stage.

Messi also strengthened his position as the competition’s all-time leading scorer, taking his World Cup tally to 21 goals as Argentina advanced to the quarter-finals.

Messi’s most prolific World Cup performances have come in the closing years of his international career.

After scoring seven goals during Argentina’s victorious 2022 campaign, he has already surpassed that figure at the 2026 tournament with eight goals.

Remarkably, Messi scored only six World Cup goals across his first four tournaments between 2006 and 2018.

His latest exploits underline a stunning transformation in his scoring output, with the Argentine captain continuing to rewrite football history at 39.