New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's take on the Egypt vs Argentina World Cup round of 16 clash went viral.
Argentina's win over Egypt for a place in the quarterfinals turned controversial after “rigged” and “unfair” allegations.
Lionel Messi’s team claimed a 3-2 win over the Arab side despite remaining scoreless for most of the time. Egyptians were hoping for the historic victory but Argentina changed the whole game scenario in the last 15 minutes.
Mohammad Salah’s side's World Cup ended with round of 16 heartbreak, but some of the controversial calls from the referee not only sparked backlash on social media but also a strong reaction from Egypt’s side.
Argentina vs Egypt ‘rigged’ match
Following the match, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan called out the referee's decision and bias towards the opponents.
He told reporters, “We haven't seen respect or fair play. 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. A second goal was remarkably, for whatever reason, disallowed.”
“There seems to have been pressure on the Argentinian side on the referee that has brought about this outcome. Life is unfair. The world is unfair. OK, but why isn't there any fairness in sports? I'm not convinced by this outcome and by the way things unfolded in this match," he added.
Zohran Mamdani reacts to the Argentina vs Egypt clash
Now, Mamdani has become the latest high-profile personality to call out the results.
The first Muslim mayor of the Big Apple on Wednesday launched the Next Stop: Better Buses, Faster Services initiative and highlighted how the faster service will save citizens time while taking a smooth jibe at Egypt’s controversial loss.
Mamdani said, "Now, if you take the bus to work, that adds up fast. Within six months, you will have spent 24 fewer hours on the bus. By the time a year rolls around, you will have saved more than two days of commuting time."
"That means breakfast with your family. It means having the time to argue balls and strikes at your kid's Little League game. It means getting home for bedtime… It means agreeing with your friends that Egypt were robbed yesterday,” he added.
Argentina vs Egypt controversy
According to India Today, the source of global fury centres around a critical 58th-minute incident that fundamentally altered the trajectory of Tuesday's match in Atlanta.
With a fearless Egyptian side leading the defending world champions 1-0, midfielder Mostafa Zico finished off a breathtaking team move to ostensibly put the Pharaohs in complete control.
However, French referee Francois Letexier was instructed by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to review an incident that had occurred more than 20 seconds earlier at the entirely opposite end of the pitch.
Letexier subsequently ruled that Egyptian midfielder Marawan Attia had fouled Argentina's Lisandro Martnez a full 100 yards away from where the goal was eventually scored.
