Coincidences haunt the Argentina national team during the 2026 World Cup competitions, amid the repetition of controversial refereeing decisions in its matches in the tournament, as it approaches reaching the final match.
Controversial refereeing cases accompanied Argentina's matches during the current World Cup, starting from the match against Algeria, passing through the encounter with Austria, while the blunder was present with the whistle of François Letexier against Egypt, and finally against Switzerland.
Double standards and a closed eye
Controversy began during Argentina's match against Algeria, after Lionel Messi, the Albiceleste captain, tackled Issa Mandi forcefully, in a situation that warranted a red card decision from the match referee, but he preferred to settle for awarding a foul without resorting to video technology.
The controversy continued during the Argentina-Austria match, after Alexis Mac Allister committed a foul against the opposing player, before the ball later reached Lionel Messi, who succeeded in finding the net.
What happened with Hossam Hassan?
Hossam Hassan, the coach of the Egypt national team, refused to pay attention to the previous refereeing incidents that had given Argentina the advantage by coincidence, before the match that brought them together in the round of 16 of the World Cup.
Hossam Hassan commented on the selection of the refereeing crew before the match, saying: "The Argentine press has the right to object to the refereeing decisions, but we respect all referees."
The national team coach added: "In our match against Belgium, there were two incidents that we believe deserved penalty kicks, yet we did not object, because we hold all respect and appreciation for the refereeing, just as we respect the opponent's right to express their opinion."
Hossam Hassan's impression did not last long, after the first minutes of the match against Argentina passed, ending the encounter with complete bias from the French referee in favor of the Albiceleste and an honorable defeat for the Egypt national team, which was deprived of refereeing justice according to everyone's testimony.
Hossam Hassan said in televised statements after the match against Argentina: "Perhaps what happened is related to marketing, by paving the way for the world champion and ensuring Lionel Messi's continued presence in the tournament. We gave everything we had and I thank the team, and my message to the Egyptian, Arab, and African people."
The national team coach continued: "It is possible to exert great effort, but there are other difficult factors. I wished we could make you happier than that, and I do not like losing, especially when it is unfair."
Hossam Hassan concluded his statements: "There are other matters happening outside the technical aspects of football and outside the pitch. We faced the world champion who received support from all sides."
A similar incident with Murat Yakin
Murat Yakin, the coach of the Switzerland national team, came out to comment on the refereeing controversy that accompanied the Egypt-Argentina match, before his team's encounter with the Albiceleste, affirming that matters are being handled with integrity at the present time thanks to technology and the video assistant referee technology.
Murat Yakin said before the match against Argentina: "I generally believe that refereeing is fair these days, and matters are handled with integrity. Everything can be controlled thanks to technology and the video assistant referee technology."
The coach added: "The Argentina national team is distinguished by a strong style of play and shows its prowess in every match. They play with great enthusiasm, and if you do not keep up with them, it is difficult to overcome them."
The coach concluded his statements, saying: "But I am not saying that anything bad or negative has happened. One should not try to resolve matters with words after the match. The opportunity comes during play, during the ninety minutes, while insults after the match are irrelevant."
Murat Yakin's impression changed quickly as well after the first minutes of his team's match against Argentina, which was held within the quarter-final competitions of the World Cup.
Murat Yakin believes that the Switzerland national team was subjected to refereeing injustice due to an error by the field referee during the match against Argentina, which led to the expulsion of his team's player, which certainly gave the Albiceleste the advantage.
The match referee issued a second yellow card, along with the red card, to Breel Embolo, the Switzerland player, due to simulation during a challenge with a member of the Argentina national team, in a situation that some agree was correct, but Murat Yakin has a different opinion.
The Switzerland national team coach stated after the match against Argentina via "SRF" channel, saying: "It is unfortunate to exit in this way, and I do not know who set this rule. We were punished because of the referee's mistake, and this is unacceptable."
Murat Yakin continued: "This is a rule that should not exist in a World Cup quarter-final. It is unreasonable to me that your mistake is corrected in this way and then we are weakened."
The Switzerland coach continued: "We came back into the match and gained momentum after the equalizer, and we wanted to bring on new attacking players to continue creating chances in regular time."
He concluded: "We defended everything, but with a shot like this, there is nothing we can do, and it is unfortunate that we could not hold on until the penalty shootout, but this is football."
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