Colina Addresses Controversial Refereeing Decisions in Egypt-Argentina Match

Pierluigi Colina, head of the referees committee at the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), rejected accusations questioning the impartiality of referees in the tournament, affirming that "no one can influence the referees," including FIFA President Gianni Infantino. He elaborated on two refereeing incidents that sparked controversy during the match between Egypt and Argentina.

The former international Italian referee stated, "No one can doubt the integrity of match officials; such doubts could provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families, which is unacceptable."

Colina further emphasized, "Similarly, no one can claim the possibility of influencing refereeing in FIFA, not even FIFA President Gianni Infantino; he has always shown full support for the refereeing team, with complete trust in our work conducted with total independence. Match referees make fair decisions and always strive—like players and coaches—to perform at their best."

Regarding the controversial refereeing incident that led to the disallowance of an Egypt goal against Argentina, Colina explained, "After every goal, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) reviews the attacking phase (APP). If an infringement is detected during the buildup and it is deemed to have affected the goal, the VAR will recommend an on-field review. There is no specific limit related to the distance from the goal or the time elapsed between the infringement and the goal."

He added, "An example of this occurred in the match between Argentina and Egypt, where Marwan Attia (player number 19 for Egypt) clearly stepped on the foot of Lisandro Martínez (player number 6 for Argentina)."

On the second incident that led to Argentina's third goal, Colina said, "Similarly, if no infringement is detected during the buildup to a goal, the VAR informs the referee accordingly."

He continued, "Stepping on an opponent's foot is a foul, whereas a defender is not considered to have committed a foul if he touches the ball first and then there is a natural contact between him and the opponent, which is common in football. Again, an example appeared at the end of the same match; both the referee and the VAR considered the contact between Egypt’s player number 10 and Argentina’s player number 9, Julián Álvarez, to fall within the scope of normal, customary contact in football."

The refereeing decisions in this match generated widespread debate, with Egyptian national team player Mostafa Ziko accusing FIFA of "directing the tournament" in favor of Argentina to win the World Cup. Colina dismissed these allegations.