The former German midfielder, Toni Kroos, has dismissed claims that Argentina’s late comeback against Egypt in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 was the result of poor refereeing or officiating errors, insisting football is decided over the full 90 minutes rather than by one incident.

The former German midfielder was commenting after Argentina overturned a 2–0 deficit to defeat Egypt on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.

Toni Kroos said Egypt played an excellent first half but lost control after taking the lead, allowing Argentina to exploit the opportunity.

According to him, top teams such as Argentina know how to capitalise when games shift in momentum. He added that people should not reduce the outcome to a single moment.

"I don't understand why people always look for excuses after a result like this. Football is decided over 90 minutes, not by one moment.

"Egypt played an excellent first half, but after going 2–0 up they lost control of the game, and Argentina took advantage. That's what top teams do.

The former midfielder also criticised the focus on the referee and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), saying Argentina’s comeback was built on intensity, quality and mentality.

"They believed until the final whistle, while Egypt couldn't maintain the same level they showed early on.

"You can't throw away a two-goal lead against one of the best teams in the world and then reduce everything to one decision. Football is much more complex than that," he said.

He acknowledged that debates about refereeing are inevitable but described claims that the match was "stolen" or that the tournament is being handed to Argentina as unfair to the players on the pitch.

"The players decide games with their performances, not conspiracy theories. The difficult thing after defeat is accepting that the opponent was better in the decisive moments.

"Argentina deserved credit for the way they responded under pressure, and Egypt should be proud of their performance while also learning from the mistakes that cost them. That's football," he added.