Prominent Spanish journalist Tomás Roncero has attacked the refereeing team for the Egypt vs. Argentina match, following Egypt's elimination from the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, arguing that one refereeing decision directly altered the course of the match, which ended with Argentina winning 3-2.
Roncero, also known for his support of Real Madrid, posted a comment on his official account on the platform X following the match, in which he criticised the referee's decision to award a foul in favour of striker Lautaro Martínez — a decision that preceded Argentina's comeback — insisting that nothing in the play warranted a foul being called against Egypt's defenders.
Roncero said: "Lautaro Martínez threw himself to the ground, the referee awarded a foul, and not only that, he also showed a yellow card." He added that yet another edition of the World Cup had been tarnished by decisions of this kind.
The Spanish journalist expressed his solidarity with the Egyptian national team, praising their performance throughout the tournament and asserting that a team of Egypt's stature did not deserve to be eliminated in this manner, maintaining that what happened did not reflect the spirit of football.
Roncero added that what he witnessed in the match "is not real football — it is pure commerce, devoid of emotion and integrity," directing a message of support to Egyptian fans following the end of the team's tournament run.
The match generated considerable discussion around several refereeing incidents, particularly the moment that preceded Argentina's comeback, before the title holders successfully exploited set pieces and the movements of Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martínez to overturn a two-goal deficit and claim a 3-2 victory, advancing to the quarter-finals.