FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan, team director Ibrahim Hassan and forward Mostafa Ziko over comments made following the team's last-16 defeat to Argentina at the 2026 World Cup.
Ziko called the tournament “rigged”, while Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan criticised the refereeing and questioned key decisions made during the match.
The Egyptian FA says it is backing the trio and is preparing its defence, although no final sanctions have been announced.
In a statement on 20 August, the Egyptian FA said it was “following the disciplinary proceedings” initiated by FIFA against the trio and would submit its responses and legal memoranda within the specified deadlines.
Why FIFA Opened Disciplinary Proceedings Against Egypt Trio
The proceedings follow public claims by members of Egypt's delegation that the World Cup was “rigged” and that refereeing decisions were biased against the team. The case centres on remarks made immediately after Egypt’s 3-2 extra-time loss to Argentina in Atlanta on 7 July.
Egypt led 2-0 before conceding three late goals in a match officiated by France’s Francois Letexier.
In his post-match news conference, Hossam Hassan said Egypt were “the better side” but that “football is not fair” and the result was “unjust, even though FIFA raises the banner of ‘fair play’”.
He also suggested that “marketing considerations” may have influenced decisions that helped keep Lionel Messi and Argentina in the tournament.
Ibrahim Hassan told the media that Egypt were eliminated “by someone's doing” because of “glaring refereeing errors that everyone witnessed.”
Ziko said in an interview: “The tournament is rigged, the referee was unjust, from the start of the match he was against us… Were they going to let us beat Argentina 2-0?”
FIFA has contacted the Egyptian FA seeking clarification over whether the comments breached its disciplinary rules. At least one report has linked the case to Article 13 of FIFA's Disciplinary Code, which covers offensive behaviour and violations of fair-play principles.
The Egyptian FA says it respects FIFA's regulations and procedures, but is backing the three and will defend the rights of Egyptian football through official channels.
The comments go beyond criticism of individual refereeing decisions by alleging that the tournament or its outcomes may have been deliberately influenced. Those allegations are now at the centre of FIFA's disciplinary proceedings.
What FIFA Rules Could Apply and What Sanctions Are Possible
The proceedings have been linked to provisions covering offensive behaviour, fair-play principles and statements that could damage the reputation of FIFA competitions. At least one report has cited Article 13 of FIFA's Disciplinary Code in connection with the case.
Depending on the exact charges and FIFA's findings, possible outcomes could range from warnings and fines to more serious measures, including suspensions from football-related activity.
FIFA has not publicly confirmed the exact charges, hearing date or decision timeline. The Egyptian FA has also not disclosed the contents of its legal response beyond saying that submissions will be made within FIFA's deadlines.
