As Egypt’s players slumped in defeat after the final whistle in their World Cup match against Argentina on Tuesday, their fans broke down in tears.
Egypt was ahead 2-0 with roughly 10 minutes left to play. But Argentina — winners of the last World Cup in 2022 — quickly scored three goals, the final one in stoppage time, to knock Egypt out of the tournament.
Egypt was always the underdog against Argentina, led by global superstar Lionel Messi. But fans dared to hope after an early goal in a drama-filled match that fueled conspiracy theories and allegations of biased refereeing.
“I am sad that we lost a dream we lived for 80 minutes,” Amr Hussien, an Egyptian who watched from a cafe in Cairo, said in an interview. “And sad that our journey ended in this way.”
For many Egypt fans, their team had another opponent on the field; the French referee François Letexier. Players and fans accused him of being partial to Argentina, owing largely to a disallowed goal by Egypt’s star forward, Mostafa Ziko in the 58th minute after a video review.
“Life is unfair. The world is unfair. OK. But why isn’t there any fairness in sports?” Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s coach, said at a news conference after the game. “There seems to have been pressure on the Argentine side on the referee that has brought about this outcome.”
FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
For many fans, it was the latest example of corruption that has plagued FIFA, the world soccer body.
Khalid Telima, a 41-year-old communication manager in the Cairo suburb of Giza, said his family was in tears at the end of the game.
“There was clear discrimination against us, and clear corruption in front of everyone’s eyes,” he said.
When Gianni Infantino took over as FIFA president in 2016, part of his stated ambition was to reform the organization’s reputation for corruption.
Many fans said they believed the team was being punished for the country’s political support for Palestinians, including the Egyptian coach’s decision to wave the Palestinian flag after Egypt’s earlier victory against Australia.
“I knew that standing with Palestine means you will pay the price,” said Raya Ahmed, 37, who was already preparing to take her children out into Cairo’s streets to celebrate when Egypt lost control of the game.
“My son cried to himself to sleep,” she added. “The whole nation was sad yesterday.”
Inside a makeshift roadside cafe in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah, neighboring Egypt’s near victory brought a rare distraction in the aftermath of a devastating war between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Palestinian spectators in the cafe erupted when Egypt scored its second goal. The owner of the cafe tossed pieces of desserts into the air in celebration. One teenager ran into the middle of the cafe, waving an Egyptian flag as others clapped and embraced. Someone played a drum.
The euphoria did not last though. VAR — the video assistant referee widely used in soccer — determined a foul on the play that discounted the goal.
“Egypt and Palestine are deeply connected,” said Bassam Nabhan, a 33-year-old lawyer watching at the cafe. “We wanted this victory because we needed a moment of joy after everything we’ve been living through. Instead, we went home disappointed.”
Online, Egyptian fans amplified a complaint throughout the tournament, that Mr. Messi and the Argentine team have received special treatment from FIFA referees. That the defending champions’ path to victory was somehow fixed is one of the conspiracy theories that has followed the game.
Until now, a famous Egyptian comedian, Bassem Youssef said he had dismissed the theories and truly believed that Mr. Messi “is the greatest player ever.”
“Now I believe every conspiracy theory. You guys are making his job easier,” he said in a social media post, pointing to a clip of Mr. Messi on his television.
None of it detracted from the pride fans felt for the team that beat Australia to win a knockout game for the first time. For many in Africa, it was a sign of greater representation after FIFA increased the number of qualifying spots available to African teams to 10 from five.
The Confederation of African Football wrote on social media: “They made millions believe. They made Africa proud.”
Kgomotso Modise, a South African news creator who watched the game from Johannesburg, said her heart was bleeding for Egypt.
“At some point, we were all delusional enough to believe that an African country would knock Argentina out of the World Cup,” she said on social media.
Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, said on social media, “We are proud of their Egyptian spirit, and we thank them — as the world thanks them — for such an entertaining and wonderful match.”
Seeing the outcry and celebration online helped Mona Atef, a 49-year-old Egyptian who lives in Dubai, process her anger over what felt like an unjust loss.
“Now I feel more proud than angry because we played and lost with honor,” she said.
Bilal Shbair and Ismaeel Naar contributed reporting.