New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has joined the debate surrounding the controversial FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between Argentina and Egypt, saying he believed Egypt was treated unfairly during the contest. His remarks have added to the growing discussion over several refereeing decisions that have been widely debated by football fans.
Read More: Argentina Fight Back to Beat Egypt 3-2 and Reach FIFA World Cup
Speaking at an event announcing an expansion of New York City’s faster bus service, Mamdani briefly referred to the World Cup fixture and remarked that “Egypt got robbed,” suggesting the North African side did not receive fair treatment during the match. His comments drew applause from members of the audience and quickly gained attention on social media.
The knockout match saw Egypt, led by captain Mohamed Salah, establish a 2-0 lead against defending champions Argentina. However, Argentina staged a dramatic comeback in the closing stages of the game, scoring three unanswered goals to secure a 3-2 victory and book a place in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals.
Following the match, many supporters questioned several officiating decisions, particularly an incident involving Argentina forward Julián Álvarez and Egypt captain Mohamed Salah. Critics argued that Egypt should have been awarded a penalty, while others pointed to additional decisions they believed favoured the defending champions. The controversy sparked widespread debate across social media platforms.
Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan had also expressed dissatisfaction with the officiating after the match, saying his team had been denied key decisions during the encounter. His comments further intensified discussions about the referee’s performance.
Despite the criticism from fans and public figures, FIFA has not issued an official statement regarding the refereeing decisions or the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during the match.
Read More: Fifa defends referees after Argentina Egypt World Cup controversy
With the victory, Argentina advanced to the World Cup semi-finals, while Egypt’s impressive tournament campaign came to an end. The debate over the officiating, however, continues to dominate discussions among football supporters as the tournament moves into its final stages.