French referee François Letexier has been stood down from the remainder of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, along with compatriot Clément Turpin. The referee who officiated Argentina vs Egypt has been stood down from World Cup 2026. Why have the French referees been sent home? The decision to end both officials’ involvement at the tournament is consistent with FIFA’s standard practice of rotating referees out of the competition as it progresses towards the final stages. Given that France have advanced to the last four, the referees have been sent home to avoid potential conflicts, as L’Equipe reports. It does not constitute a disciplinary measure against either official.
A third French official, Jérôme Brisard, remains in contention for VAR duties as the tournament continues. Letexier at the Centre of Argentina Controversy Letexier’s departure comes days after he officiated one of the tournament’s most debated matches: Argentina’s dramatic Round of 16 comeback against Egypt. The Pharaohs had appeared to be heading for a famous upset, building a 2-0 lead before Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez scored in the closing stages to complete a stunning Argentine recovery. Egypt’s anger centred on what many observers felt was an inconsistency in the VAR’s application of the rules. With Argentina trailing 1-0, a counterattack led by Haissem Hassan resulted in a goal for Egypt, only for it to be disallowed after the VAR reviewed footage showing that Lisandro Martinez had been fouled in the build-up. Under the laws of the game, a foul occurring in the passage of play that leads to a goal renders the goal void.
Why Argentina’s winning goal vs Egypt stood However, when Argentina launched the counter-attack that produced their second goal, Mohamed Salah appeared to be fouled by Julian Alvarez before possession changed hands. The VAR did not intervene on that occasion, a decision that drew fierce criticism from Egypt’s players, staff and supporters, who argued the same standard applied to them had not been extended to Argentina.
