The Mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani has joined the growing list of public figures backing Egypt after their controversial 3-2 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 defeat to Argentina, saying that the African side had been “robbed” in a remark that quickly spread online.
A day after Lionel Messi inspired defending champions Argentina to one of the most dramatic comebacks in World Cup history, overturning a 2-0 deficit in the final minutes to eliminate Mohamed Salah’s Egypt and send Argentina into the quarter-finals, Mamdani brought up the result while unveiling New York City’s “Next Stop: Better Buses, Faster Service” initiative, weaving the World Cup controversy into his pitch for faster commutes.
“Now, if you take the bus to work, that adds up fast,” Mamdani said. “Within six months, you will have spent 24 fewer hours on the bus. By the time a year rolls around, you will have saved more than two days of commuting time.”
He continued: “That means breakfast with your family. It means having the time to argue balls and strikes at your kid’s Little League game. It means getting home for bedtime.”
Then came the line that drew loud cheers from the crowd.
“It means agreeing with your friends that Egypt were robbed yesterday. Above all, it means time returned to New Yorkers who don’t have nearly enough of it.”
The remark struck a chord with those who feel Egypt were denied a fair result, though it changes nothing about the official outcome that sent Argentina through on the back of Messi’s late influence.
Mamdani’s comment added to a wider wave of criticism from Egyptian players, coaches and fans, many of whom argue that key refereeing decisions worked in favour of the reigning world champions.
The dispute centres on a handful of moments that swung the momentum of the match. Early in the second half, Egypt appeared to have doubled their lead when Mostafa Ziko scored following a well-worked move. After a lengthy VAR review, officials ruled that Marwan Attia had fouled Lisandro Martinez earlier in the buildup, and the goal was chalked off.
Several analysts and supporters felt the foul happened too far before the goal to justify VAR stepping in, and the decision became one of the tournament’s most talked-about moments.
Egypt still went 2-0 up shortly after, but Argentina responded in dramatic fashion. Messi set up Cristian Romero in the 79th minute, before Argentina added two more goals to complete a stunning 3-2 win in stoppage time.
Another flashpoint saw Julian Alvarez avoid conceding a penalty for a challenge on Salah, adding to claims that key calls favoured Argentina.
In the aftermath, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan, several players and the Egyptian Football Association questioned the officiating, with some calling the tournament “rigged” in Argentina’s favour.
The EFA said it “cannot remain silent” over what it described as inconsistent and unfair refereeing, insisting several key decisions directly shaped the outcome.
FIFA’s chief refereeing officer, Pierluigi Collina, rejected suggestions of bias and defended the VAR intervention, stating “a foul is a foul” regardless of how far it occurred before a goal. He also warned that unfounded allegations against match officials could lead to threats against them and their families.
