New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani added fuel to the debate around Egypt’s controversial FIFA World Cup 2026 defeat by saying the team was “robbed” after its dramatic 3-2 loss to Argentina in the Round of 16 on Tuesday. His remark came a day after Egypt’s exit sparked widespread criticism of match officials, with the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) formally raising concerns about refereeing decisions and the use of VAR.
The biggest talking point from the match was a second-half goal by Mostafa Zico that was ruled out after VAR found a foul more than 20 seconds before the ball went into the net. Argentina later completed a comeback to seal a 3-2 victory.
Zohran Mamdani references Egypt’s loss while unveiling New York bus plan
Mamdani brought up the match while speaking to New Yorkers about his “Next Stop: Better Buses, Faster Service” programme on Wednesday. The mayor was explaining how faster bus services could save commuters valuable time during their daily routines.
“Now if you take the bus to work, that adds up fast,” Mamdani said. “Within six months, you will have spent 24 fewer hours on the bus. By the time, by the time a year rolls around, you will have saved more than two days of commuting time. That means breakfast with your family. It means having the time to argue balls and strikes at your kid’s Little League game. It means getting home for bedtime.”
He then added: “It means agreeing with your friends that Egypt were robbed yesterday. Above all, it means time returned to New Yorkers who don’t have nearly enough of it.”
His comments came as frustration continued to grow in Egypt over several decisions made during the match officiated by French referee Francois Letexier.
Also Read: Who is Francois Letexier? Argentina vs Egypt referee faces scrutiny after controversial VAR calls
Egyptian Football Association questions Francois Letexier-led officiating team
Hours after the defeat, the EFA reportedly filed an official complaint against Letexier and the officiating crew. In a statement shared on social media, the federation said it could not remain silent about refereeing decisions and what it described as a failure to make proper use of the VAR system.
“The Egyptian Football Association cannot remain silent regarding the refereeing decisions witnessed during the match against Argentina as well as the failure to make appropriate use of the Video Assistant Referee [VAR] system,” the statement read.
The EFA also said several football experts and analysts had pointed to controversial moments that directly affected the match. According to the federation, those incidents raised questions about fairness and consistency in officiating during a tournament as significant as the World Cup.
The reaction did not stop there. An Egyptian star also claimed the World Cup was “fixed” after the result. Speaking to The Athletic, he questioned why a penalty decision was overturned, why another possible penalty was not reviewed, and why Egypt’s disallowed goal was ruled out.
He further suggested there had been pressure from the Argentine side on the referee and said he was not convinced by how the match unfolded.
