FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina has defended the officiating in Argentina’s 3-2 victory over Egypt in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16. He rejected allegations of bias and insisted that match officials acted with complete independence.
In an interview published on FIFA’s official website, Collina said criticism of refereeing decisions is a normal part of football. However, he stressed that questioning the integrity of match officials is unacceptable. He also said no individual, including FIFA President Gianni Infantino, can influence refereeing decisions.
Furthermore, Collina warned that baseless accusations could expose referees and their families to threats and harassment.
VAR Decisions Backed by FIFA
Egypt criticized the officiating after surrendering a 2-0 lead and losing 3-2 through a stoppage-time goal by Enzo Fernández. Following the match, coach Hossam Hassan suggested outside pressure may have influenced the referee.
The Egyptian Football Association also questioned several key decisions. Officials argued that Mostafa Zico’s second-half goal was wrongly disallowed. They also claimed Mohamed Salah should have received a foul before Argentina’s winning attack.
Collina explained that VAR correctly recommended overturning Zico’s goal after identifying a foul by Marwan Attia on Lisandro Martínez during the attacking phase.
He also defended the decision not to award Egypt a penalty, saying both the referee and VAR judged the contact between Salah and Julián Álvarez as normal football contact. Consequently, FIFA remains satisfied with the application of VAR throughout the tournament.
