An Egyptian political analyst has gone viral after claiming that Israel and FIFA rigged Egypt’s dramatic 3-2 Round of 16 defeat to defending champions Argentina in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel on July 7, Mohammad Nour accused Israel of orchestrating the outcome, calling the Argentine national team “an Israeli team par excellence.”
The Claims
Nour, speaking in Arabic with English subtitles provided by MEMRI, stated:
- “The Argentine national team is an Israeli team par excellence.
- ”Argentine President Javier Milei is “best friends” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Lionel Messi has visited Israel multiple times, worn a kippah, and prayed at the Western Wall.
- Yair Netanyahu “brought Messi to play for Inter Miami.”
He further alleged that “FIFA and Israel prevented Egypt from winning,” claiming Egypt had a limit imposed on them that they were not allowed to cross. Nour added that Egypt “played like men, like heroes,” but “Israel, I mean FIFA and the referee, had something different to say.”
The video, widely shared on X by accounts including @Osint613, quickly drew international attention for its overt conspiracy theories tying a football match to Israel.
What Actually Happened on the Pitch
Egypt took a commanding 2-0 lead in Atlanta on July 7 thanks to goals from Yasser Ibrahim (15th minute) and Mostafa Zico (67th). Argentina mounted one of the tournament’s most memorable comebacks, scoring three times in the final 11 minutes through Cristian Romero (79’), Lionel Messi (83’), and Enzo Fernández (90+2’).
The match featured several controversial refereeing decisions, including a VAR-disallowed Egyptian goal and disputed penalty calls, prompting complaints from Egypt’s camp and coach Hossam Hassan.
Nour’s rant fits a familiar pattern in parts of the Arab media and online discourse, where Israel is blamed for everything from sporting defeats to weather events — even when Israel itself did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
The claims have been widely mocked online, with users pointing out the absurdity of linking Messi’s on-field heroics or Argentina’s late rally to Israeli influence.
A separate fact-check published on JFeed noted that while refereeing controversies exist in football, there is no evidence whatsoever of Israeli involvement in the match outcome.
The video continues to circulate widely, highlighting the persistent tendency in some quarters to insert Israel into unrelated events as the ultimate explanation for failure.
