Speaking after the match, Hassan claimed the result had been influenced by questionable refereeing decisions.
“Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Lionel Messi to stay in the race. This match was rigged, and the whole world saw it,” the Egyptian coach said.
Egypt appeared to be cruising toward a famous victory after Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring in the 15th minute before Mostafa Ziko doubled the advantage in the 67th minute.
However, Argentina staged a remarkable comeback in the closing stages, with Cristian Romero reducing the deficit in the 79th minute, Messi equalising four minutes later, and Enzo Fernandez netting a dramatic stoppage-time winner to seal a 3-2 victory and send the reigning champions into the last eight.
The defeat sparked outrage among Egyptian players and football officials, who blamed French referee François Letexier for a series of controversial decisions.
Ziko, whose goal was ruled out by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) earlier in the game, described the officiating as unfair.
“The referee was unfair and destroyed the efforts of an entire nation. The trophy is being handed to Argentina,” he said.
The disallowed goal followed a VAR review after officials ruled that an Egyptian player had fouled an Argentine opponent during the build-up. While some observers agreed with the decision, arguing there had been contact before the goal, others believed the incident was too minor and too far from goal to justify VAR intervention.
Egypt also protested what they believed should have been a penalty after Hamdy Fathy was allegedly pulled inside the Argentine penalty area by Alexis Mac Allister shortly before Argentina scored the winning goal.
Coach Hassan insisted the incident deserved a VAR review but claimed it was ignored.
Following the defeat, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) lodged an official complaint with FIFA, calling for an investigation into the refereeing performance.
EFA President Hany Abo Rida accused the officiating team of committing “serious errors” and applying a “double standard” that ultimately led to Egypt’s elimination from the tournament.
He further demanded that FIFA investigate the disputed decisions and consider removing the entire officiating crew from the remainder of the competition.
The dramatic encounter has generated widespread debate among football fans and analysts, with opinions divided over the referee’s decisions. While some maintain that the match officials applied the Laws of the Game correctly, others believe the controversial calls significantly influenced one of the tournament’s most dramatic knockout matches.