Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has accused FIFA of favouring Argentina and wanting Lionel Messi to remain in the World Cup after his side's dramatic 3-2 round-of-16 defeat in Atlanta on Tuesday.
Hassan was visibly frustrated after Alexis Mac Allister appeared to foul Mohamed Salah in the penalty area, but referee François Letexier waved play on. Argentina then launched a counterattack that caught Egypt off guard, with Enzo Fernández scoring a dramatic late winner.
"FIFA wanted Lionel Messi to stay in the running at the competition," Hassan told reporters.
The Egypt bench was also angered after a goal by Mostafa Ziko was disallowed following a VAR review for a foul in the build-up. They further argued that VAR should have intervened in the build-up to Fernández's winning goal.
"In football, sometimes there are external factors that go beyond the technical ones. The defending champions received support at every level," Hassan continued.
Reigning world champions Argentina fought back from 2-0 down to secure victory, with Messi inspiring the comeback by scoring one goal and creating another in a match that appeared to be firmly in Egypt's hands.
"We haven't seen respect or fair play. A penalty was ruled out and not even checked by VAR. Life is unfair, normal life is unfair, so why is there no fairness in sport?" Hassan questioned.
Hassan and the Egypt bench had a heated verbal confrontation with referee Letexier after the final whistle, continuing to accuse the French official of "having something to hide."
The defeat leaves Morocco as the only remaining African nation in the tournament. They will face France in the quarter-finals on Tuesday at Boston Stadium in Foxborough, a repeat of the 2022 FIFA World Cup semi-final.