Former Manchester United and Tottenham manager José Mourinho has strongly criticized the officiating and VAR decisions during Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Egypt in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mourinho, speaking after the match, described the performance of the officials as “daylight robbery” and accused VAR of lacking consistency and fairness.
“This is daylight robbery. It’s a shame what football is becoming. How do you let the play continue, allow the goal to be scored, and only then decide to go back and cancel it? If there was a foul, stop the game immediately. Don’t wait until after the goal.
Then I ask another question — why wasn’t Argentina’s first goal reviewed with the same attention when it looked very close to offside? Why was every incident involving Argentina checked, while Egypt didn’t seem to get the same treatment?
VAR is supposed to bring fairness, not confusion. Today, it looked like every important decision went in Argentina’s favour. Football deserves better.”
Controversial Moments
Egypt had taken a 2-0 lead before Argentina mounted a comeback with goals from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and a stoppage-time winner from Enzo Fernández.
However, the match was overshadowed by several contentious decisions:
- An Egypt goal was disallowed by VAR after the ball had already crossed the line.
- Questions were raised about a possible offside in Argentina’s first goal.
- Several fouls and incidents involving Egyptian players appeared to receive less scrutiny.
Mourinho’s Broader Criticism
The Portuguese coach’s comments add to growing frustration among managers and fans regarding the inconsistent application of VAR across the tournament. Mourinho, known for his direct style, did not hold back in demanding higher standards from football’s governing bodies.
Argentina advanced to the quarter-finals amid the controversy, while Egypt’s campaign ended with strong accusations of unfair treatment from both their coach Hossam Hassan and now José Mourinho.
