Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has offered a staunch defence of referee Francois Letexier, whose performance in Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 World Cup quarter-final victory over Egypt drew significant criticism and accusations of bias.
Argentina mounted a remarkable comeback, overturning a two-goal deficit to defeat Egypt, with goals from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi, and Enzo Fernandez securing their passage. However, the match was overshadowed by two key decisions that left Egypt’s players and coaching staff alleging the tournament was “rigged” in favour of the South American giants.
The first flashpoint occurred in the 58th minute when Egypt had a goal controversially disallowed for an alleged foul on Lisandro Martinez at the start of the attacking move. Later, Egypt believed they should have been awarded a late penalty for an alleged foul by Julian Alvarez on Mohamed Salah, moments before Enzo Fernandez scored Argentina’s winning goal.
De la Fuente’s surprising backing
Despite the widespread controversy and Egypt’s strong reactions, Luis de la Fuente expressed bewilderment at the very notion of questioning Letexier. “I honestly don’t understand why you ask me about the controversy surrounding the referee in the Argentina vs. Egypt match. Where did that even come from?” de la Fuente told DAZN via Sportskeeda.
Read also: Adidas unveils TRIONDA FINAL: The ball for 2026 World Cup glory
The Spain boss then doubled down on his support for the French official. “I watched the game and I thought the referee got everything right. I’d actually like to congratulate him because every decision he made was spot on,” he added.
De la Fuente’s comments echo those of France boss Didier Deschamps, who also praised his compatriot’s handling of the contentious encounter. Spain is set to face Belgium in their own quarter-final clash on Friday.
FIFA’s stance on integrity
The “rigged” allegations from the Egyptian camp prompted a strong response from FIFA’s Chief Refereeing Officer, Pierluigi Collina. Collina vehemently denied any questioning of the officials’ integrity and voiced concerns over the potential for threats against them and their families.
“Of course, constructive discussion about decisions will always be part of football, but unfounded allegations have no place in our sport. Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials. When this happens, it may provoke reactions that lead to threats against them and their families. This is not right,” Collina stated.
Read also: Donald Trump speaks out after USA's World Cup exit
Letexier, a 37-year-old FIFA and UEFA elite category match official, was one of four referees assigned to the quarter-finals. While he will not take charge of either semi-final, the officials for the 2026 World Cup final, scheduled for July 19 at the New York New Jersey Stadium, and the third-place play-off are yet to be assigned. Clement Turpin will officiate the quarter-final between Norway and England in Miami.
Read also: Arsene Wenger names the only team that can stop France winning the 2026 World Cup
