The 2026 World Cup not only presents intense competition between teams vying for the ultimate supremacy in the world of football, but is also marred by a string of controversial refereeing decisions that have sparked debate. Entering the quarterfinal stage, the spotlight on the quality of refereeing and the use of the video assistant referee (VAR) has actually intensified, prompting demands for FIFA to conduct a comprehensive evaluation.
The latest controversy emerged after FIFA appointed a refereeing team entirely from Argentina to officiate the quarterfinal match between France and Morocco. Main referee Facundo Tello is assisted by two linesmen, Juan Pablo Belatti and Gabriel Chade, while Dario Herrera serves as the fourth official and Cristian Navarro as the reserve.
The appointment does not violate FIFA regulations since Argentina is not a participant in the match. However, the decision has provoked debate given the still-fresh rivalry between Argentina and France since the 2022 World Cup final. On social media, some French supporters questioned FIFA’s sensitivity in determining the match officials for a game considered to be full of prestige.
Nevertheless, the biggest polemic arose during the match between Argentina and Egypt. French referee Francois Letexier became the target of criticism after several of his decisions were deemed inconsistent. Egypt’s goal scored by Egyptian player Mostafa Zico was disallowed after VAR ruled that a foul had occurred against Lisandro MartÃnez early in the buildup to the attack. Conversely, when Argentina scored the winning goal through Enzo Fernandez, the Egyptian camp deemed that a foul had occurred against Mohamed Salah as well as a shirt-pull on one of their players inside the penalty box. However, that incident was not reviewed via VAR.
The decision triggered strong protests. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) even submitted an official letter to FIFA requesting an investigation into Letexier and his refereeing team. The EFA also requested that the match officials no longer be assigned for the remainder of the tournament.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan stated his team experienced injustice, and even Argentine legend Claudio Lopez admitted that Mohamed Salah should have been awarded a penalty before Argentina’s third goal was scored. Similar criticism came from English legend Alan Shearer. He assessed that there was a contradiction in the application of the rules because nearly identical situations produced different decisions. “If one is considered a foul, then the other must also be considered a foul. If not, both should have been allowed to play on,” Shearer said.
Burying the Garuda
The spotlight on Letexier is actually not the first time. He was the referee who buried the Garuda squad’s dream of appearing in the 2024 Olympics. In the Paris 2024 Olympic playoff match between Indonesia and Guinea, his two penalty decisions for Guinea triggered strong protests, including from coach Shin Tae-yong, which resulted in a red card.
National football analyst Juprianto Alexander assesses that the root of the problem lies not in a single controversial incident, but rather in the inconsistency of referees in applying assessment standards. Ironically, this condition occurs in the era of VAR use, which is supposed to help referees produce careful, accurate, and consistent decisions.
“Egypt’s goal was disallowed because it was deemed there was a foul at the beginning of the attack. However, when Argentina scored the third goal, an alleged foul on Salah and a pull on an Egyptian player in the penalty box received no attention at all. That is where the public questions the referee’s consistency,” he told “PR”, Wednesday, July 8, 2026.
In fact, the presence of VAR should narrow the room for errors, rather than create different standards in handling similar incidents. Because if the same situation is treated differently, it will certainly create a perception of injustice.
He assesses that FIFA, together with the Referees Committee, needs to conduct an evaluation, especially ahead of the decisive rounds that carry much greater pressure. “A mistaken decision in the knockout stage is highly fatal. One decision can determine the fate of a nation because there is no second chance. That is why referee consistency becomes a highly critical matter,” he said.
