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FIFA’s head of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, has firmly defended match officials after Egypt’s controversial elimination at the hands of Argentina in the World Cup round of 16. The former Italian referee dismissed all suggestions of bias, asserting that the integrity of the tournament remains unblemished despite a formal protest and strong criticism from the Egyptian side.

Collina Rejects Corruption Allegations from Egypt

Collina declared that “nobody can question the integrity” of World Cup referees following what he described as “baseless accusations” in the aftermath of Egypt’s 3-2 defeat to Argentina. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) had released a strongly worded statement after the match, calling for an investigation into what it termed “double standards” and technical lapses in the VAR process.

“Of course, constructive debate over decisions is part of football, but baseless claims have no place in our game,” Collina emphasised. “No one can question the integrity of FIFA World Cup officials. When that happens, it can lead to reactions that result in threats against the officials and their families. That is unacceptable.”

Collina Confirms Independence from Gianni Infantino

The fallout from the match also prompted speculation about possible external influence, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump stated his involvement in lifting Folarin Balogun’s suspension ahead of the game against Belgium. Collina, however, categorically dismissed any suggestion that FIFA President Gianni Infantino exerted pressure on referees. He stressed that the refereeing department functions with complete autonomy to maintain fairness across all fixtures.

“Equally, nobody can claim that FIFA refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even the FIFA President Gianni Infantino,” Collina said. “He has always expressed full confidence in FIFA Team One and allows us to operate independently. Match officials make honest decisions, and like players and coaches, they strive to give their best.”

VAR Controversy Clarified

Egypt’s frustration centred on the disallowed goal by Mostafa Zico, which could have altered the match’s outcome when they were in front. Collina elaborated that the misunderstanding stemmed from confusion about the VAR’s role in reviewing the attacking possession phase (APP). He confirmed that the officials were right to go back and penalise Marwan Attia for a foul on Lisandro Martinez earlier in the build-up.

“In the Argentina versus Egypt match, Egypt’s number 19, Marwan Attia, clearly stepped on the foot of Argentina’s number six, Lisandro Martinez,” Collina explained. “We believe a foul is a foul. Even if it isn’t immediately obvious, if the referee misses it during play, the VAR can intervene. There is no fixed limit concerning either the distance from goal or the time between the incident and the goal.”

Hossam Hassan’s Claims of Messi Bias Rejected

Egyptian coach Hossam Hassan had openly suggested that the officials favoured the defending champions. He questioned why a potential foul on Mohamed Salah inside the box was overlooked moments before Argentina scored their winning goal. Collina defended the referee’s decision not to award a penalty for that incident.

He concluded, “Another example came at the end of the same match, when the referee and VAR judged the contact between Egypt’s number 10, Mohamed Salah, and Argentina’s number 9, Julian Alvarez, as normal football contact. There will always be subjective elements in certain decisions, but we are satisfied with the consistent application of this principle throughout the tournament.”