The debate surrounding Argentina’s dramatic World Cup comeback against Egypt isn’t fading anytime soon.
Days after the South American champions erased a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 in stoppage time, FIFA has publicly pushed back against claims that the officiating favored Argentina. Refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina says the match officials followed the Laws of the Game exactly as they were meant to, despite the backlash from Egypt.
At the same time, FIFA president Gianni Infantino is dealing with a separate controversy, with human rights groups and European politicians questioning whether politics has begun influencing decisions at football’s biggest tournament.
Taken together, the two issues have placed FIFA under an uncomfortable spotlight at a time when the World Cup should be focused solely on football.
Collina: Criticism Is Part of Football, But Conspiracy Claims Cross the Line
Pierluigi Collina has seen almost every refereeing controversy imaginable during his career, so criticism after a major knockout match was hardly surprising.
What concerned him, however, was the suggestion that officials deliberately influenced the outcome.
In comments published by FIFA, Collina said referees accept that every important decision will be debated. That’s part of elite football. What should never become normal, he argued, is questioning the honesty of officials without evidence.
He also dismissed suggestions that anyone inside FIFA—including president Gianni Infantino—could interfere with refereeing decisions.
According to Collina, every official appointed to the World Cup is expected to make independent decisions on the pitch, and while mistakes can happen in football, they are never the result of outside influence.
He warned that unfounded accusations often extend beyond social media arguments and can lead to abuse directed at referees and even their families.
Egypt Believes Two Moments Changed Everything
For Egypt, the frustration centers on two incidents that arrived during the closing stages of one of the tournament’s most dramatic matches.
The first involved Mostafa Zico, whose second-half goal was erased after a VAR review.
The second came only moments before Argentina scored the winner, when Mohamed Salah went down under pressure but play continued.
Those decisions became the focus immediately after the final whistle.
Head coach Hossam Hassan accused the officials of costing Egypt a place in the quarterfinals and suggested there may have been pressure to keep Argentina alive in the competition.
The Egyptian Football Association echoed those concerns, criticizing the way VAR was used and insisting it would formally challenge what it described as incorrect officiating.
Why FIFA Says VAR Got It Right
FIFA sees those incidents very differently.
Collina explained that VAR intervened on Zico’s goal because video officials spotted a foul by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martinez earlier in the attacking move. Since the referee had not seen the contact in real time, VAR was entitled to recommend a review.
His view was simple: if an offence occurs during the attacking phase, officials cannot ignore it simply because it appears minor.
“A foul is a foul,” Collina said while explaining FIFA’s position.
As for Egypt’s appeal involving Salah, FIFA concluded there was nothing illegal about the challenge involving Julian Alvarez.
Both the referee and the VAR considered it normal contact between two players contesting possession rather than a foul deserving a free kick or penalty.
Collina acknowledged that football will always produce decisions people disagree with. Even with VAR, some calls remain open to interpretation. But from FIFA’s perspective, the system functioned exactly as intended during the match.
Infantino Now Facing Questions Away From the Pitch
While FIFA continues defending its referees, another issue is drawing attention away from the action on the field.
Gianni Infantino has come under renewed criticism after reports surrounding the suspension of United States forward Folarin Balogun.
The controversy began after Balogun’s ban following a red card was lifted before the next round. Reports suggested the reversal came after a conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Infantino, although FIFA has never confirmed political involvement.
The speculation has prompted fresh complaints about whether football’s governing body is maintaining the political neutrality it expects from others.
Rights Group Plans New Complaint
Human rights organization FairSquare says it plans to file a complaint with the International Olympic Committee over what it describes as repeated political conduct by the FIFA president.
The group had already submitted a complaint to FIFA’s Ethics Committee late last year, arguing that Infantino publicly aligned himself too closely with Trump on several occasions.
Among the issues raised was FIFA’s decision to present Trump with a newly created FIFA Peace Prize, a move critics argued blurred the line between sport and politics.
Pressure is also building in Europe.
More than 35 lawmakers have urged national football associations across the European Union to seek an ethics investigation into whether political influence played any role in Balogun’s reinstatement or other recent FIFA decisions.
Two Separate Controversies, One Difficult Week for FIFA
Neither issue is directly connected.
One concerns refereeing decisions made during 90 minutes of football. The other focuses on the leadership of the organization itself.
Yet both stories have landed at the same moment, forcing FIFA to answer uncomfortable questions on and off the pitch.
With the World Cup entering its decisive rounds, attention should be fixed on the remaining teams chasing the trophy. Instead, debates over VAR, governance and political independence continue to dominate conversation almost as much as the football itself.
