Egypt coach Hossam Hassan accused Fifa of wanting Lionel Messi and Argentina to stay in the World Cup after his team's controversial last-16 exit. The Pharaohs led 2-0 against the defending champions before Argentina scored three goals in 13 minutes to win 3-2. Hassan claimed his team was wrongly denied a second goal after a VAR check for a foul more than 100 yards away and that Egypt should have been awarded a penalty before Argentina's third goal.
Hassan's accusations and conspiracy theories
“Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition? Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running?” Hassan told Qatari broadcaster beIN Sports after the game. His remarks fueled a firestorm of conspiracy theories and allegations of corruption. French referee François Letexier became the focus of intense global scrutiny, with restaurants and cafes posting about barring him and his Wikipedia page vandalized to falsely identify him as Jewish.
As Argentina progressed, the conspiracy theories followed. The Argentinian federation and its president were being investigated by the FBI for alleged money laundering. A controversial VAR decision led to Switzerland's top striker being sent off in the quarter-final. An Instagram post claiming “The World Cup was promised to Messi 3000 years ago” was liked nearly 15,000 times, while another post with more than 275,000 likes stated “It’s rigged for Messi.” More than 12 million people have signed a fan-led petition demanding Fifa disqualify Argentina.
VAR controversies and Fifa's integrity
VAR technology has been at the centre of nearly every major controversy at this World Cup. Critics argue that VAR is applied inconsistently, leading to scenarios such as Egypt’s disallowed goal against Argentina and Croatia’s disallowed goal against Portugal, called offside because the sensor in the ball detected a touch absent to the human eye.
The tournament’s most controversial episode came when United States striker Folarin Balogun received a red card after a VAR review for a foul the referee had missed. The controversy deepened when Fifa overturned Balogun’s one-match suspension following an intervention from Donald Trump. The US president later boasted about his role in securing Balogun’s return. Uefa called the decision “unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable,” while the International Olympic Committee is being asked to investigate whether Gianni Infantino breached rules on political neutrality.
Political context and broader implications
The Balogun affair is not without precedent. In November 2025, Fifa suspended part of Cristiano Ronaldo’s ban for a red card in a qualifier, clearing him to play in group-stage matches. This underscored Fifa’s willingness to indulge big attractions, especially given the introduction of dynamic pricing schemes for this World Cup.
There has been a deluge of AI-generated images and videos spreading disinformation. One manipulated image showed a man resembling Adolf Hitler celebrating a goal; another showed outgoing British prime minister Keir Starmer wearing a Croatia jersey. These images prey on emotions, blurring reality and fiction while trapping viewers in a cycle of outrage.
Ahead of the World Cup, Infantino fawned over Trump despite the US president’s handling of the Iran war and immigration crackdown. Infantino even invented his own peace prize to appease Trump. Because of US visa restrictions, Iran’s team had to shuttle between Mexico and the US, with players describing their experience as a “disaster.”
Egypt's symbolic run and aftermath
Egypt’s World Cup adventure gave the country its first collective joy in 15 years. Hassan raised a Palestinian flag after their last-32 win and said anyone lacking empathy for the Palestinian people had lost their humanity. The Egyptian Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza organized public watch parties for displaced Palestinian families to watch Egypt’s games. The committee’s director, Mohammed Fawaz al-Wahidi, was killed in an Israeli strike hours before Egypt played Argentina.
After the match, the Egyptian Football Association released a statement that it “cannot remain silent” following a series of refereeing decisions that “left profound questions about the consistency and fairness of decisions that directly influenced the course of the game.” The Argentinian federation was targeted by a cyber-attack with hackers sending emails admitting to “corrupt refereeing decisions.” Conspiracy theories spread across social media asserting that the fix was in.
The World Cup does not exist in a vacuum. Football is a reflection of society, and the conspiracy theories surrounding the tournament are symptoms of broader forces, including social media, economic insecurity and political division. The World Cup amplifies these tensions, showcasing them on the world’s biggest stages.
