Fifa chief refereeing officer Pierluigi Collina has defended the integrity of World Cup match officials amidst allegations of bias following Egypt's 3-2 loss to Argentina. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) requested Fifa remove the officials from the tournament, citing "double standards" in officiating that they believe aided Argentina's comeback. Collina stated that "unfounded allegations have no place in our sport" and that officials' integrity cannot be questioned, adding that such claims can lead to threats against them and their families.

Collina specifically addressed two second-half calls that went against Egypt. He explained the VAR review that disallowed Mostafa Zico's goal, where Marwan Attia was penalized for stepping on Lisandro Martinez's foot, and the decision not to award a penalty for a challenge on Mohamed Salah. He maintained that these decisions were correct applications of the rules, emphasizing that VAR checks the attacking possession phase for any fouls impacting the goal. Collina asserted that Fifa refereeing is not influenced by anyone, including the Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

The controversy follows other officiating criticisms, including a decision regarding a red card ban for Folarin Balogun that drew sharp rebukes from UEFA. Collina reiterated that match officials make honest decisions and strive to perform their best, comparing their efforts to those of players and coaches. He concluded that while subjectivity exists in some calls, Fifa is satisfied with the application of officiating principles throughout the tournament, particularly in the Argentina vs. Egypt match.