Mohamed Salah laments refereeing decisions after World Cup exit

Egypt captain Mohamed Salah expressed his deep sorrow following the team's exit in the Round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup against Argentina, noting that the controversial refereeing decisions significantly impacted the match's outcome. However, he chose not to directly criticize French referee François Letexier.

Salah stated: "I don't want to talk about the referee because I will get into trouble if I do. It's sad and impactful to see all the decisions going against you in a match, especially in a crucial game like today in the World Cup."

The Pharaohs' captain's comments came after a match that featured widespread refereeing controversy, including the disallowance of a goal for Egypt following a VAR intervention, as well as calls for a penalty in the dying minutes before Argentina's winning goal. These decisions sparked strong objections from players, coaching staff, and the Egyptian Football Association.

Egypt was eliminated from the tournament after squandering a two-goal lead, with Argentina turning the match around to win 3-2 in the final minutes, leaving a significant sense of anger within the Egyptian camp due to the officiating performance.