Argentina FA Caught Up in Middle of Alleged $300m Money Laundering Investigation by FBI Amid World Cup The Argentine Football Association (AFA) is now at the center of a high-profile investigation by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into alleged money laundering involving hundreds of millions of dollars, as the nation’s football team continues its World Cup campaign. The probe, which reportedly began in 2025, has intensified following the AFA’s controversial quarter-final victory over Egypt in the 2026 World Cup, sparking accusations of match-fixing and financial impropriety. The controversy surrounding Argentina’s 3-2 win over Egypt in the round of 16 has overshadowed the team’s success. The match, which saw a stoppage-time goal by Enzo Fernandez, was marred by disputes over VAR decisions. Egypt’s manager, Hossam Hassan, accused FIFA of allowing “internal factors on the pitch and external factors off it” to influence the result, while forward Mostafa Ziko claimed the tournament had been “fixed.” Though no official evidence of wrongdoing has been presented, the allegations have cast a shadow over the AFA’s reputation. The FBI’s investigation, led by federal prosecutors Patrick Gushue and Christopher Ting, focuses on the AFA’s financial operations under the leadership of Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia. The probe involves testimonies from key figures, including businessman Guillermo Tofoni, who met with FBI agents for three hours. Investigators are also seeking witnesses with knowledge of potential ties between the AFA and Pablo Toviggino, a former AFA official, during Tapia’s tenure.#fbi #enzo_fernandez #argentine_football_association #hossam_hassan #mostafa_ziko
Fifa Accused of World Cup Fix After Egypt’s Controversial Defeat to Argentina Egypt’s national football team has accused FIFA of unfair refereeing decisions following their 3-2 defeat to Argentina in the last 16 round of the World Cup. The match, held at Atlanta Stadium, sparked outrage among Egyptian players and coach Hossam Hassan, who criticized the referee’s rulings, VAR interventions, and perceived bias in the outcome. The Pharaohs, who led 2-0 in the second half, were overturned by Argentina’s late comeback, with Enzo Fernandez scoring the decisive goal in stoppage time. Egypt star Mostafa Ziko, who was denied a goal in the first half, accused the tournament of being “fixed” and called the refereeing decisions “unfair.” He expressed frustration over a controversial goal disallowed in the 22nd minute and a perceived foul in the build-up to Fernandez’s winning goal. “The referee was really not fair,” Ziko said at full-time. “The injustice was clear. We did a really good job in the early stages of the match. A 2-0 lead isn’t enough to beat Argentina.” Ziko later told Canadian broadcaster TSN that the match’s outcome was “the referee’s fault” and that the World Cup’s “cup is directed towards Argentina.” He apologized to the people of Egypt, stating, “We wanted to make you all happy. It was not in the cards. It was the referee.” Coach Hossam Hassan echoed Ziko’s frustration, vowing to “never watch the World Cup again” due to the lack of “justice” in the competition. He criticized referee Francois Letexier for failing to check a potential penalty for Egypt and disallowing a second goal that he argued should have been reviewed by VAR. “A penalty was ruled out and a second incident that should have been checked for a penalty for us was not even checked by the VAR,” Hassan said.#argentina #fifa #egypt #hossam_hassan #mostafa_ziko
Socceroos Set to Face Mo Salah in World Cup 2026 Last-32 Clash The Socceroos are set to face Egypt’s Mo Salah in their World Cup 2026 last-32 match, though uncertainty remains over whether the forward will start the game. Egypt coach Hossam Hassan confirmed Salah is fit to play after recovering from a hamstring injury, but noted the team is unsure of his starting role. Salah was seen training with his teammates on Thursday, and Hassan stated the player is eager to contribute. “We look forward to him playing tomorrow, though we are not sure whether he is going to be in the starting lineup,” Hassan said. Australia’s Tony Popovic emphasized his team’s preparedness for both scenarios—whether Salah starts or comes off the bench. “We have prepared for Salah playing, we’ve seen when he’s not on the pitch the players in those positions where he may play,” Popovic said. “So we’ve prepared for both scenarios and we’ll see tomorrow.” The coach faced repeated questions about countering Egypt’s physicality, particularly the 1.98-meter defender Harry Souttar. Hassan dismissed concerns about height, comparing players like Maradona and Messi. “It’s not about being tall or short, we have physical players … We’re not playing rugby here, we’re playing football,” he said. Egypt entered the match as Group G runners-up, finishing behind Belgium. Salah was substituted in Egypt’s final group game against Iran due to a hamstring strain, a recurrence of an injury he suffered for Liverpool in April. However, he has since recovered and was moving freely during training. In the group stage, Salah scored once and created two chances, bringing his international goal tally to 68—just one behind Hassan as Egypt’s all-time leading scorer. Salah and the Egyptian team were greeted by thousands of fans in Texas upon their arrival on Wednesday.#tony_popovic #hossam_hassan #harry_souttar #mo_salah #soccerroos
Mohamed Salah Recovers from Hamstring Injury for Egypt-Australia Clash Mohamed Salah is expected to return to the pitch for Egypt in their World Cup round of 32 match against Australia on Friday after recovering from a hamstring strain sustained during their 1-1 draw with Iran in the group stage. The Liverpool legend, 34, suffered the injury 57 minutes into the game, which saw Egypt advance to the knockout rounds. The severity of the injury was confirmed when Salah requested to be substituted out of the match, prompting immediate medical attention. Egyptian medical staff diagnosed him with a strained hamstring and initiated an "intensive rehabilitation program" to ensure his availability for the critical showdown against the Socceroos at AT&T Stadium. Salah rejoined Egypt’s training session on Wednesday, and during a media-allowed observation of the team’s final training session on Thursday, he appeared relatively unimpeded. Hours later, coach Hossam Hassan confirmed in a prematch press conference that Salah would be available for the match. Hassan acknowledged the injury, stating, “Against Iran, we learned that he suffered a hamstring strain during the second half of the match and asked to be substituted. Our very distinguished medical department took care of that, and we tried to introduce him to partial team training as of yesterday only.” Despite his eagerness to contribute, Hassan emphasized caution, saying, “I am not going to run any risk unless I am sure that he is 100 percent sure of the fact that he is fit and raring to go tomorrow. We look forward to him playing tomorrow, not sure though whether he is going to be in the starting lineup.” Australia’s manager, Tony Popovich, acknowledged the challenge Salah poses, stating, “Yes, we prepared for Mohamed Salah playing.#australia #mohamed_salah #egypt #hossam_hassan #tony_popovich
Egypt's International Friendly Against Saudi Arabia: Salah's Participation in Doubt Egypt will face Saudi Arabia in an international friendly match on March 27 at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The game, scheduled for Friday, marks a key opportunity for both teams to prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. However, the participation of Egypt’s star player, Mohamed Salah, remains uncertain due to a recent injury. Salah, who is set to leave Liverpool at the end of the season, has been sidelined for the match. He was excluded from the 26-man squad for the international break after sustaining a muscle injury during Liverpool’s Champions League clash against Galatasaray. The Egyptian captain is currently undergoing rehabilitation and is expected to return to action after the tournament. In his absence, coach Hossam Hassan will rely on players like Omar Marmoush and Trezeguet to spearhead the attack. The friendly match serves as a crucial test for both nations. Saudi Arabia, led by coach Herve Renard, aims to solidify its team’s consistency ahead of the World Cup, with key players such as Salem Al-Dawsari and Musab Al-Juwair expected to play pivotal roles. For Egypt, the game is a chance to gauge their readiness for the tournament, with Salah’s absence highlighting the reliance on other forwards to replicate his impact. Salah’s potential departure from Liverpool adds another layer to the context of the match. The 31-year-old, who has scored over 250 goals for the club, announced his decision to leave Anfield at the end of the 2025-26 season. His exit, after nine years with the Reds, has sparked discussions about his legacy and future. Despite a slight dip in his overall performance this season, Salah has remained consistent in 2026, recording five goals and five assists in his last 14 appearances.#saudi_arabia #mohamed_salah #egypt #hossam_hassan #herve_renard
