When it seemed that the controversy over Argentina vs Egypt was beginning to die down, a new image set social media ablaze again.
In the photograph, which went viral over the last few hours, Egyptian defender Hamdy Fathy can be seen striking Lionel Messi in the face with his hand during a challenge for the ball. The action was not penalized by the referee or reviewed by VAR and went practically unnoticed during the match.
The screenshot began to be shared massively because it comes amid the discussion over the refereeing of the match, while thousands of fans maintain that Egypt was harmed by decisions such as the disallowed goal and the alleged penalty not awarded on Mohamed Salah, others are now using this image to claim that Argentina also suffered actions that went unpunished.
The scene once again divided opinion. Some consider it to be contact typical of the game and that it did not warrant a sanction, while others believe that any blow to the face should have been, at the very least, reviewed by the officiating team.
The truth is that Argentina vs Egypt keeps adding chapters even days after the final whistle and continues to be, for many, the most debated match of the 2026 World Cup.
Here they put together a compilation of several questionable plays by Egypt: