FIFA Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina has strongly defended the standard of refereeing at the 2026 World Cup, insisting that match officials operate without external pressure. The legendary Italian former referee issued a detailed statement addressing complaints about decisions during the tournament in North America, specifically explaining why Egypt had a goal disallowed during their 3-2 round of 16 defeat to Argentina.
Egypt Goal Disallowed
Collina clarified the second-half incident that denied Egypt a decisive third goal against Argentina. He confirmed that VAR intervened after detecting a foul during the attacking possession phase. Egypt midfielder Marwan Attia trod on the foot of Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez in the build-up, prompting officials to rule out the strike.
“We believe that a foul is a foul,” Collina told the FIFA website. “Regardless of whether the foul appears ‘obvious’, if the referee did not see it on the field of play, the VAR can intervene.”
The Italian explained that video assistants examine the entire attacking possession phase after every goal, with no fixed limits on time or distance from the incident to the finish. He contrasted the Attia situation with a later challenge between Mohamed Salah and Julián Álvarez, which officials deemed normal football contact after the defender played the ball first.
Independence from External Influence
Collina directly rejected claims that FIFA President Gianni Infantino influences refereeing decisions, following reports that a red card shown to USA striker Folarin Balogun was overturned after former President Donald Trump contacted Infantino.
“Nobody can claim that FIFA Refereeing can be influenced by anyone, not even by the FIFA President [Gianni Infantino],” Collina stated. “He has always shown his full support for FIFA Team One while trusting us to work with complete independence.”
Collina condemned unfounded allegations against officials, warning that such claims provoke threats against referees and their families. “Nobody can question the integrity of the FIFA World Cup match officials,” he added. “Match officials make honest decisions and, just like players and coaches, they always try to do their best.”
Tournament Assessment
With the tournament past the halfway stage, Collina expressed general satisfaction with officiating standards despite the high volume of matches. “Overall, we are happy,” he said. “However, with such a high number of matches played in a relatively short period of time, it is normal that some things do not go as expected.”
He acknowledged that subjectivity remains part of football, but insisted the application of VAR protocols has been consistent throughout the competition.