Ian Wright nails the Argentina vs Egypt VAR drama, and even Roy Keane had to agree.
Ian Wright didn’t hold back in a fiery rant about the VAR decisions during Argentina’s win over Egypt, and even Roy Keane was left speechless. The World Cup knockout rounds are in full swing, bringing plenty of excitement and controversy.
In what many called the best game of the tournament so far, Argentina secured their spot in the quarter-finals after a thrilling match that saw tensions rise on Egypt’s bench. Egypt shocked everyone by scoring early through defender Yasser Ibrahim and even saved a Lionel Messi penalty soon after. The underdogs looked like they might pull off one of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.
Egypt fans got even more hopeful when forward Mostafa Ziko added a second goal in the 67th minute. But Argentina, the reigning champions, weren’t giving up. They made an incredible comeback with goals from Cristian Romero, Messi, and a last-minute winner from Enzo Fernandez to seal their place in the next round.
However, ITV pundit Ian Wright argued that Argentina’s winning goal should’ve been called off because of a foul on Mo Salah. His strong reaction even left Roy Keane surprised. “That’s what’s happening with VAR now, they’re pulling it back,” Wright said after the match. “If they’re going to cancel a goal for Argentina, they should do the same for this foul on Salah. He’s been caught, no matter how slight.”
Keane jumped in, questioning, “But why does his leg give way when he cuts?” But Wright wasn’t convinced. “Look Roy, we have to consider that too, but they’ve already disallowed a goal for something similar. It’s a total mess.”
Wright also wasn’t happy about VAR ruling out Ziko’s goal for a foul on Tagliafico, calling the decision questionable. “If this is what VAR is for, it’s a long way to go back and it gave Argentina time to regroup,” he said. When Gary Neville was asked if a similar goal would be ruled out for Argentina, he said, “Unlikely.”
Ziko, obviously disappointed, spoke out after the match. “The referee was really unfair,” he said. “It was clear that we were treated unjustly. We played well, and a 2-0 lead wasn’t enough to beat Argentina. This tournament feels fixed, but we trust in God.”
Egypt’s coach Hossam Hassan shared those frustrations, saying he might never watch the World Cup again because of what he sees as unfairness. He said, “There’s no respect or fair play here. A penalty was wrongly denied, and another wasn’t even reviewed by VAR. A goal was disallowed for no clear reason. It looks like the referee was influenced by pressure on Argentina’s side. Life can be unfair, but sports should be fair. I don’t believe this result was right.”
Despite all the debate, Argentina has moved on to the quarter-finals, where they’ll play Switzerland early Sunday morning at Kansas City Stadium.