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French referee Francois Letexier is reportedly facing a FIFA review after Egypt’s complaint of “serious refereeing mistakes”.
Francois Letexier is at the center of a FIFA World Cup controversy. (AFP Photo)
French referee Francois Letexier is in the spotlight after Argentina’s controversial FIFA World Cup Round of 16 win over Egypt in Atlanta recently. Egypt’s coach claimed his team was cheated out of a place in the quarterfinals, with the country’s football association filing a complaint with FIFA demanding an investigation into Letexier, alleging “serious refereeing mistakes” while accusing him of “double standards”.
“Hany Aburida, president of the Egyptian Football Federation, filed a complaint with FIFA, demanding an investigation into the French referee Francois Letexier… after the serious refereeing mistakes committed by the team of referees and double standards,” said a statement from the federation.
So who is Letexier?
Born on April 23, 1989, in Bédée, France, Letexier began refereeing professionally in Ligue 1 in 2016 and was added to FIFA’s international referees list the following year. He officiated in his first senior international match in 2018 and has since become a regular choice for UEFA’s elite competitions.
His rise continued with appointments to major European fixtures, including the 2023 UEFA Super Cup, Champions League knockout games and Euro final between Spain and England in 2024.
At the age of 35, Letexier became the youngest referee to take charge of a men’s European Championship final as he continued a rapid progression through UEFA’s refereeing ranks.
Besides that, Letexier has also officiated at the Olympic Games, the FIFA Club World Cup and the UEFA Europa League final and appears regularly in France’s top division football league.
Away from football, he works as a court bailiff, a profession he has said helps him maintain balance alongside refereeing.
What Is Egypt Unhappy?
On Tuesday, during the FIFA World Cup 2026 pre-quarterfinal against Argentina, Letexier ruled out a Mostafa Ziko goal when Egypt were leading 1-0 as VAR intervened to spot a foul on Lisandro Martinez much earlier in the move.
However, Ziko did end up putting Egypt 2-0 ahead a few minutes later and raising the prospect of a historic quarter-finals appearance.
Another controversy followed, this time in added time after Cristian Romero and Lionel Messi had brought the defending champions on level terms.
Egypt claim they should have been awarded a penalty for a pull by Alexis Mac Allister on Hamdy Fathy that happened in the lead up to Argentina’s winner scored by Enzo Fernandez.
“Aburida demanded the investigation of the entire team of referees, including the video technology referees, because of the blatant errors and insisting on not reviewing some of the footage that we believe are in favour of the Egyptian national team, and we see in it the Pharaohs’ right to a correct goal and a penalty,” said the Egyptian statement.
Egypt has also demanded that the entire referee crew appointed for their pre-quarter match be ejected from the remainder of the competition.
About the Author
Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience …Read More
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