The darkest day in football history
Despite the hope that it brought us for a brief moment, the 2026 World Cup is overshadowed by sadness.
Tuesday, July 7, 2026, was arguably one of the darkest days in sports history. The world looked to the Men’s FIFA World Cup match between Argentina and Egypt for relief from the pain of a troubled world, but we have been bitterly disappointed.
Of the ten African teams that entered the tournament, and the nine that made it to the round of 32, only Morocco and Egypt remained in the round of 16. Despite this, African teams displayed tremendous skill and nearly defeated several teams from much wealthier countries with long histories in the World Cup. Clearly, the age of European and South American dominance in football is coming to a close.
Egypt brought great hope, not only to Arica, but to the Arab world as well. In war-torn Palestine, Mohamed Al-Wahidi of the Egyptian Committee in Gaza set up watch parties so that people who have endured unimaginable suffering over the last three years could experience a moment of joy and normalcy. Thousands gathered in the rubble to enjoy the game.
Egypt played valiantly against heavily favoured Argentina and its star player, Lionel Messi. They led until the final minutes of the game, when Argentina seemingly miraculously took the lead and won. It was a moment of joy for the Argentinian players and fans.
Normally, one expects whining from a losing team, but in the hours that followed, a dark cloud gathered over the game, and it was much more significant than mere sour grapes.
The tournament had already been plagued by controversy, with allegations of favouritism and even racism. The Iranian team was undefeated in the tournament despite having to play their games in the United States and being barred from staying in the country. A top referee from Africa was not allowed to enter the United States or officiate in the tournament.
Worst of all, an American player had a one-game suspension overturned after US President Donald Trump made a phone call to FIFA president Giovani Infantino, and was allowed to play in the round of 16 game with Belgium. Many around the world were relieved when the Americans suffered a humiliating defeat. Infantino’s action resulted in a call for an investigation from members of the European Parliament, and strong criticism from UEFA, football’s European governing body.
Even before the match between Argentina and Egypt began, videos were circulating showing the Egyptian delegation being harassed and shoved by American police. As fans filed into the stadium, other footage showed Egyptian fans being frisked by security while Argentinian fans were simply allowed to enter. Numerous other videos show the wealthy Argentinians who were able to come to the United States engaging in racist behaviour as they cheer for a team that is surprisingly lacking Afro-Argentinians.
Much of the criticism of the game against Egypt, won by Argentina, revolves around inconsistency in the officiating. With football fans having access to game footage and the internet, many clips showing the alleged unfairness have gone viral. In addition, there are clips showing Infantino, who is supposed to be neutral, expressing relief when Argentina does well.
The most disturbing scene on the pitch shows the Egyptian coach following official football protocol for perceived racism anywhere in the stadium by making an X symbol with his arms. This is supposed to halt play and begin an immediate investigation. Not only was he ignored by the referee, but he was also given a yellow card.
The most disturbing event, however, happened in Gaza, where an Israeli military airstrike killed Mohamed Al-Wahidi, his driver, and two Palestinian children who were traveling with him.
It would be nice to believe that on an athletic field, the same rules apply to everyone. For a brief moment, it seemed that the Men’s FIFA World Cup was bringing people from diverse cultures together.
That dream was destroyed on July 7, 2026.