Argentina Investigates Cyberattack After Emails Claim Egypt World Cup Match Was ‘Robbery’

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) is investigating a potential cyberattack after a wave of emails were sent to journalists alleging that the recent World Cup match between Argentina and Egypt was unfairly officiated. The emails, which claim the match was a “robbery,” were sent from an account that the AFA states was not authorized by their team.

Match Controversy

Argentina secured a dramatic 3-2 victory over Egypt in their World Cup round-of-16 match. However, the game was marred by several controversial refereeing decisions that left the Egyptian team incensed. Egypt’s disallowed goal in the 60th minute, following a VAR review, and a contentious penalty appeal in Argentina’s box in the dying moments of the game fueled accusations of bias.

Following the match, Egypt’s star forward Mostafa Ziko expressed his disappointment, suggesting the trophy was “directed towards Argentina.” The Egyptian head coach echoed these sentiments, criticizing the officiating and stating he would “never watch the World Cup again, because there’s no justice in this competition.”

Hacked Email Details

At least one reporter from The Athletic received an email with the subject line “SYSTEM HACKED: UNFAIR DECISION.” The message, purportedly from “All Egyptian Cyber Warriors,” described Argentina’s win as “stolen” and stated, “Security is an illusion, just like the integrity of that match.” The email further characterized the game as “90 minutes of unfair refereeing” and alleged that the Egyptian coach was “targeted for standing with Palestine.” The message concluded with a warning: “If there is no justice on the pitch, do not expect peace in your networks. Consider this transmission a permanent record of our protest.”

AFA’s Response

The AFA confirmed on Thursday that it was investigating the incident. In a statement, the federation acknowledged the possibility of unauthorized access to its accounts and assured that it was working to clarify the situation and implement necessary security measures. The AFA has asked recipients of the messages to disregard them.

“There is a possibility that our account has been subject to unauthorized access,” the AFA said. “We are currently working to clarify the situation and implement the necessary security measures.” The federation also stated it would analyze the incident to determine its origin and scope.

When contacted for further comment on Friday, an AFA spokesperson referred to the earlier statement, indicating that the situation had been “resolved” and there was nothing further to add.

Key facts

This development highlights the growing intersection of cybersecurity concerns and major sporting events, as well as the passionate reactions that can arise from controversial officiating in high-stakes competitions like the FIFA World Cup.

Source: The Athletic Football, https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7437469/2026/07/10/argentina-hack-world-cup-egypt/