Argentina vs. Egypt ‘disgrace’, Lionel Messi investigation, FIFA storm – World Cup summary

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Mirror Football brings you the latest headlines after the action-packed Round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup in North America, including the latest on Lionel Messi, Jordan Henderson injuries and FIFA.

Everything you need to know about the latest World Cup action, including a dizzying Round of 16 clash between Argentina and Egypt…

Quarterfinalists emerge – Argentina beat Egypt 3-2 in Tuesday’s kick-off, but Switzerland eliminated Colombia on penalties to advance to the last eight. As a result, Argentina will face Switzerland in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup. France will also play Morocco, Spain will play Belgium and England will face Norway. Fans claim foul play – Some supporters were quick to claim the tournament was being rigged to protect one of soccer’s most valuable assets, Messi, who made a belated return against Egypt. Leading 1-0 at the time, Mostafa Zico looked to have doubled the Pharaohs’ lead early in the second half, but the goal was ruled out by VAR for a foul on Lisandro Martinez, with some calling it a “disgrace”. Zico finally scored his second goal in the 67th minute, but Argentina’s late rally gave the South Americans a 3-2 victory. Zico lashed out at referee François Letexier, claiming in the aftermath that the match was match-fixed. “It was a match-fixed game. It’s not our fault. That referee… it looks like the game was match-fixed. Even though we were winning 2-0, he kept attacking us. Congratulations to Argentina for qualifying for the World Cup, I guess.” Egyptian coach’s anti-racism stance – A number of Egyptian coaching staff were shown yellow cards in the final stages of the match against Argentina, and some were even sent off entirely for claiming the match was rigged. During the confusion, Hossam Hassan appeared to make an “X” gesture with both arms in front of Letexier, but French officials did not seem to be paying any attention. The gesture is a symbol used to report racist abuse, but it is unclear whether Hassan did it for that reason. FIFA investigation begins – Following Argentina’s victory over Cape Verde on July 3, World Football launched an investigation into allegations of racist abuse against YouTube star and Twitch streamer IShowSpeed. The 21-year-old was seen on-air getting into an argument with an Argentine fan after making fun of Messi, before Hassan spoke out. It appears he was subjected to racist abuse in Spanish. FIFA is investigating the matter as a result. UEFA accused of hypocrisy – FIFA has hit back at UEFA for criticizing its decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s one-match ban, which allowed the US striker to play against Belgium on Tuesday. UEFA accuses FIFA of crossing a ‘red line’ with the decision, World Football cited many UEFA member associations in the past having had red cards rescinded without issue Jordan Henderson gives update – Jordan Henderson will miss the remainder of the World Cup following a freak incident during England’s celebrations after defeating Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on Monday. But then he shared an update with his fans. He wrote on Instagram: “Definitely a night to remember! A great performance against a variety of challenges. So proud to be part of this special team (emoji). Thank you for all the support. Another big thing happened on Saturday.” Get the latest World Cup news straight to your inbox – sign up now for the Make Football Great Again newsletter!