'This tournament is FIXED!' - Raging Egypt star Mostafa Zico delivers extraordinary live TV interview after last-gasp World Cup loss to Argentina

The Pharaohs were minutes away from pulling off one of the great World Cup upsets, holding a 2-0 lead over the defending champions with just 11 minutes remaining on the clock. Goals from Yasser Ibrahim and Zico had put the African side in dreamland, especially after goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir had earlier saved a first-half penalty from Messi.

However, the narrative shifted rapidly in the closing stages. Cristian Romero pulled one back before Messi atoned for his penalty miss with an 83rd-minute equaliser. The heartbreak was complete deep into stoppage time when Enzo Fernandez headed home a winner, but the goal was shrouded in controversy as Egypt players pleaded for a VAR review for an alleged foul on Mohamed Salah by Alexis Mac Allister in the build-up.

In the immediate aftermath of the final whistle, Zico did not hold back when speaking to the cameras. The forward, who thought he had scored a second earlier in the half only for it to be ruled out by VAR, launched a scathing attack on the integrity of the tournament and the officiating of referee Francois Letexier.

As reported by BBC, Zico said: "The referee was really not fair. Not fair. The referee was not fair. The injustice was clear. We did a good job in the early stages of the match. There's been an unfairness right from the start of the match. A 2-0 lead isn't enough to beat Argentina. It's clear that this tournament has been fixed."

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan echoed his player's sentiments, though he chose his words with slightly more caution while still suggesting a conspiracy was afoot. Hassan pointed to the disallowed Zico goal and the ignored penalty shout for Salah as evidence that the officials were protecting the tournament's biggest stars.

"We looked better than the reigning champions - better in everything - but the result was influenced by internal factors on the pitch and external factors off it," Hassan told reporters. "Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running. I want to put it in beautiful words and say, 'Hard luck,' but we have been treated unfairly and it has been an injustice."

The fury within the Egyptian camp has led to a complete breakdown in relations with the tournament organisers. Hassan revealed that he confronted Letexier on the pitch at full-time to label his performance "unfair," and the former striker has now vowed to not have anything more to do with the 2026 edition of the competition.

Ending his press conference on a defiant note, Hassan said: "I'm going home and won't be watching any more games from the tournament. What happened to us wasn't fair. We should have had a penalty, a goal was disallowed, and I don't know why it was disallowed."