Losing 3-2 after leading by two goals is a hard result for any team to accept, and Egypt proved no exception. However, rather than dwelling on his own team's shortcomings, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan instead pointed the finger indirectly at FIFA and the referee for the defeat. His direct allegation is that Egypt were clearly wronged, and that the officiating was biased in order to keep Argentina  and Lionel Messi  in the tournament.Argentina secured victory in this high-voltage Round of 16 clash in Atlanta through goals from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and Enzo Fernandez. But at the post-match press conference, the Egypt coach vented his frustration, claiming that Egypt had outperformed the world champions on the pitch, but that controversial decisions on the field  along with other external factors determined the outcome of the match. He said, "Maybe they wanted the world champions to stay in the tournament. Maybe they wanted Messi to remain in the competition."Hossam Hassan's allegations regarding the officiating center mainly on what he described as VAR's (Video Assistant Referee) double standards. He claimed that one of Egypt's goals was strangely disallowed following a VAR review. Yet, just before Enzo Fernandez's winning goal, Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister allegedly fouled an Egyptian player by pulling his jersey an incident VAR overlooked. He also alleged that a potential penalty appeal over a foul on Mohamed Salah was never reviewed by VAR.The Egyptian camp also strongly objected to the appointment of the match's lead referee, France's François Letexier. Hossam Hassan said they had opposed this referee's appointment due to the historical rivalry between France and Argentina, but their objection was not taken into account. He expressed frustration that they received neither respect nor fair play in return.There was also a heated exchange between Hossam Hassan and the referee after the match. Recalling the moment, he said he told the referee it was completely unjust, adding that he suspected the referee might have something to hide, and questioned why fairness could not exist in sport.Claiming that Argentina benefited from unfair advantages in every respect, a dejected Hossam Hassan ended the press conference with a bitter remark, declaring in an angry tone, "My job is done. I will not watch another match of this tournament."