FIFA chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina has mounted a robust defence of match officials at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, pushing back firmly against allegations of bias that surfaced following Argentina's 3-2 victory over Egypt in the Round of 16. Collina's statement came after the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) called for a formal investigation into the officiating and demanded the removal of the refereeing team from the tournament.

Collina's Defence of Officials' Integrity

Speaking in response to the mounting criticism, Collina drew a firm line between legitimate debate and what he characterised as damaging personal attacks. 'Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials. When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right,' he said, as quoted by BBC Sport.

He acknowledged that refereeing decisions will always generate discussion in football but insisted that unsubstantiated accusations cross a different threshold entirely. 'Of course, constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport,' Collina stated.

Independence from FIFA Leadership

Collina also moved to address suggestions that FIFA's refereeing department operates under external pressure — including from the governing body's own leadership. 'Nobody can claim that FIFA refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA president Gianni Infantino,' he said. He added that Infantino had consistently backed FIFA Team One while allowing the department to function with complete independence, and that match officials, like players and coaches, always strive to perform to the best of their ability.

The Two Disputed Decisions Explained

Despite FIFA's customary policy of not commenting on individual refereeing calls during major tournaments, Collina made an exception to explain both contentious incidents from the Argentina v Egypt fixture.

The first concerned an Egyptian goal that was disallowed following a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check. Collina explained that after every goal, the VAR reviews the attacking possession phase, and if a foul is identified in the build-up that is deemed to have impacted the goal, the VAR can recommend an on-field review — with no defined distance or time limit from the incident to the goal. He confirmed that Egypt number 19 Marwan Attia had clearly trodden on the foot of Argentina number 6 Lisandro Martínez, triggering the intervention. 'We believe that a foul is a foul. Regardless of whether the foul appears 'obvious', if the referee did not see it on the field of play, the VAR can intervene,' he said.

The second controversy involved Egypt number 10 Mohamed Salah going down inside the penalty area moments before Argentina scored the winning goal. Collina explained that the referee and VAR assessed the challenge between Salah and Argentina number 9 Julian Alvarez as normal football contact — noting that a defender who touches the ball first and then makes routine contact has not committed a foul.

Egypt's Reaction and Manager's Allegations

Egypt manager Hossam Hassan had alleged after the match that his side had been treated unfairly, with the EFA formally escalating the matter to FIFA. This is not the first time a football association has sought redress over VAR rulings at a major tournament, but Collina's unusually detailed public response signals that FIFA viewed the allegations as serious enough to warrant a point-by-point rebuttal.

FIFA's Broader Stance on Officiating

Collina conceded that an element of subjectivity is inherent in some refereeing decisions but expressed satisfaction with how officials have applied the laws of the game throughout the 2026 World Cup. 'Of course, there will always be an element of subjectivity in some decisions, but we are happy with how this principle has been applied throughout the tournament,' he said. The episode underscores the growing scrutiny on VAR systems at elite level and the pressure on football's governing bodies to maintain transparency without undermining the authority of on-field officials.