​FIFA’s refereeing chief, Pierluigi Collina, has stood up for the officials who oversaw Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 win over Egypt in the World Cup Round of 16, rejecting accusations of bias and emphasizing the complete independence of match officials. In a recent interview published on FIFA’s website, Collina remarked that criticizing referees is a normal part of football, yet he condemned questions aimed at the referees’ integrity following Egypt’s defeat.
With a dense schedule of matches in a compressed timeframe, Collina noted that it is natural for some decisions to diverge from expectations. When this happens, he said, referees are ready to work even harder to ensure they are fully prepared for their next assignment. While constructive debate about decisions will always belong in football, he insisted that baseless accusations have no place in the sport.
Collina also warned that such allegations could threaten referees and their families, stressing, “Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials … Equally, nobody can claim that FIFA refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA president [Gianni Infantino].” He added that match officials strive to make honest decisions and, like players and coaches, they always aim to do their best.
The clash in question saw Argentina overturn a 2-0 deficit with 11 minutes remaining, eventually securing a stoppage-time winner from Enzo Fernández. Egypt, eliminated from the tournament, contended that they had been treated unfairly and that there was undue pressure on the referee that kept Argentina in the tournament. They also criticized the refereeing decisions, promising to challenge what they described as the improper use of VAR.
Egypt’s stance extended to claims that Mostafa Zico’s second-half goal was wrongly ruled out due to a non-existent foul in the build-up. They were also angered that a challenge on Mohamed Salah went unpunished just moments before Argentina’s winning move. In response, Egypt’s head coach Hossam Hassan discussed the matter with French referee François Letexier during the game.
According to Collina, VAR correctly recommended overturning Zico’s goal after identifying a foul by Marwan Attia on Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez during the attacking phase. “We believe that a foul is a foul,” Collina asserted, reinforcing the notion that the decision-making process behind the VAR review was sound and aligned with the rules.
Collina’s defense of the referees comes as the sport continues to grapple with perceptions of officiating bias in high-stakes matches. While praising the referees’ independence and the integrity of FIFA’s officiating, he acknowledged that the sport’s global audience will always scrutinize decisions in marquee games. He urged continued respect for the officials’ roles and reiterated that the aim is to support referees in delivering fair, consistent interpretations of the laws of the game, even under intense pressure.