French referee François Letexier will no longer officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following the controversy surrounding his handling of the Round of 16 clash between Argentina and Egypt.
The decision comes after widespread criticism of Letexier’s performance in Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Egypt, a match that sparked outrage from the Egyptian Football Association (EFA).
The EFA lodged an official complaint with FIFA, questioning several key decisions made during the encounter, including a disallowed Egyptian goal and the rejection of late penalty appeals. The federation also demanded that Letexier and his officiating team be removed from the remainder of the tournament.
The controversial encounter generated intense debate across the football world, with Egypt’s players and coaching staff insisting that crucial decisions went against them during the match.
However, FIFA’s refereeing chief, Pierluigi Collina, had earlier defended the officiating team, maintaining that the VAR decisions were correctly applied and rejecting allegations of bias.
Letexier’s removal means the French official will not take charge of any of the remaining matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
