Press reports have revealed the reasons behind the exclusion of French referee François Letexier, who officiated the Egypt-Argentina match at the 2026 World Cup, from the final shortlist of referees assigned to officiate the remaining matches of the tournament.
According to the French newspaper L’Équipe, Letexier was excluded after the French national team qualified for the semi-finals, following their 2-0 victory over Morocco in the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup.
The French referee had sparked considerable controversy due to his decisions in the Egypt-Argentina match, which ended in a three-two victory for Argentina, eliminating the Pharaohs from the World Cup in the round of 16.
The semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup are scheduled to on Tuesday, at 10:00 PM, with Spain facing France at Dallas Stadium.
The semi-finals will conclude at 10:00 PM on Wednesday, when Argentina meets England at Atlanta Stadium.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
