NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Says Egypt Were 'Robbed' in Argentina Loss

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has added his voice to the growing controversy surrounding Egypt’s 3-2 defeat to Argentina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying the African side were “robbed”. Mamdani made the remark while addressing New Yorkers at the launch of a new initiative aimed at improving bus services, unexpectedly bringing one of the tournament’s biggest refereeing debates into a speech about commuting.

Mamdani was speaking at the launch of the “Next Stop: Better Buses, Faster Service” initiative when he discussed how faster journeys could return valuable time to residents. He said reduced commuting times could allow people to spend more time with their families, attend their children’s sporting events and get home earlier. He then added that it could also mean having time to agree with friends that “Egypt were robbed yesterday”, drawing attention to the controversial World Cup match.

The mayor’s comment came after defending champions Argentina completed a dramatic comeback to defeat Egypt 3-2 and advance to the semi-finals. Egypt had led 2-0 until the 78th minute and appeared to be closing in on a major upset before Argentina scored three times late in the match. The result sparked widespread debate, with Egyptian players and coaching staff criticising several refereeing decisions that they believed influenced the outcome.

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One of the main incidents occurred in the second half when Egypt had a goal scored by Mostafa Ziko ruled out following a Video Assistant Referee review. Officials determined that a foul had taken place more than 10 seconds before the ball entered the net. Egypt later scored to take a 2-0 lead, but the disallowed effort denied them what could have been a three-goal advantage and became a major point of controversy after Argentina’s late comeback.

The dramatic sequence of events intensified criticism of the officiating, with some members of the Egyptian camp alleging that decisions had favoured Lionel Messi’s Argentina. An Egyptian player went as far as claiming that the World Cup was “fixed”, while the team’s coach and other players also expressed anger over the decisions. The allegations have fuelled a wider debate among football fans, although no evidence has been presented to establish that the tournament or match was manipulated.

Mamdani’s remark has now taken the controversy beyond football circles and into public discussion in the United States. By referencing the match during an official address on New York City’s transport system, the mayor highlighted how widely the disputed result has been discussed. Argentina’s 3-2 victory secured their place in the World Cup semi-finals, but debate over the refereeing decisions continues to follow the defending champions as the tournament enters its decisive stages.

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