The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) filed an official complaint with FIFA against French referee François Letexier following his highly controversial decisions during Egypt’s Round of 16 match against Argentina at the 2026 World Cup.
The EFA has demanded a formal investigation into Letexier and his entire officiating crew.
The core of Egypt’s protest centers on a critical denied penalty for the Pharaohs just moments before Enzo Fernández scored Argentina’s third goal.
The EFA explicitly requested that Letexier be barred from officiating any remaining matches in the tournament.
French media weighs in on FIFA’s reaction
Following the EFA’s move, French media reports have offered insight into how football’s governing body is handling the protest.
According to a report by the French outlet Foot Mercato, FIFA is highly unlikely to grant Egypt’s request to dismiss the referee.
The reports highlight that referee appointments fall strictly under the exclusive jurisdiction of FIFA’s Referees Committee, meaning no individual country has the right to veto or block a referee’s selection.
Technical evaluation and potential conflicts of interest
Foot Mercato explained that while Letexier’s performance during the Egypt-Argentina clash will be thoroughly evaluated, any disciplinary action or future assignments will depend entirely on FIFA’s internal technical analysis—not on pressure from the EFA’s protest.
The reports predict that Letexier’s continuation in the tournament might actually depend on his own country’s success.
If the French national team advances deep into the final knockout stages of the World Cup, FIFA will likely sideline French referees anyway to avoid any potential conflict of interest.
Edited translation from Al-Masry al-Youm
