François Letexier, the French referee, will not officiate any FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinal matches after his decisions in Argentina’s dramatic 3-2 win over Egypt sparked widespread controversy. The move follows heavy criticism of his officiating during the Round of 16 clash, although FIFA has not officially stated the reason behind the change. According to a report by L’Équipe, “the Frenchman’s performance will be reviewed, and FIFA’s refereeing officials will decide, based on his technical performance, the officials’ reports, and the disputed video footage, whether he will continue in this World Cup.”

François Letexier’s controversial decisions trigger backlash

François Letexier came under intense scrutiny after several key calls during the match in Atlanta. Egypt’s Football Association later submitted an official complaint to FIFA, claiming that crucial refereeing and VAR decisions affected the outcome.

The biggest talking point was the disallowed goal scored by Mostafa Zico in the second half after a VAR review. Egypt also believed they should have been awarded a late penalty following a challenge on Hamdy Fathy. The incidents led to strong protests from the Egyptian players and coaching staff, who argued that the decisions denied them a place in the quarterfinals.

The controversial calls quickly became one of the biggest talking points of the tournament, with former players and football experts questioning the consistency of VAR and match officiating.

Why did FIFA reshuffles officials

Following the backlash, FIFA has left Letexier out of the list of referees appointed for the quarterfinals. While the governing body has not directly linked the decision to Egypt’s complaint, the timing has drawn significant attention.

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan criticised the officiating after the match, while the national federation insisted the team had been unfairly treated. Despite the protests, the result stands and Argentina progressed to the last eight after completing a comeback from 2-0 down.

Argentina will now take on Switzerland in the quarterfinals, while the debate over VAR and refereeing standards continues to dominate discussion around the FIFA World Cup 2026.

FAQ

Has FIFA removed referees from World Cup knockout matches before?
Yes. FIFA has previously dropped referees from later stages of the World Cup after controversial performances or poor match assessments.

How does FIFA decide which referees officiate World Cup knockout games?


FIFA appoints referees based on performance evaluations, accuracy of decisions, fitness, consistency, and overall match control throughout the tournament.