Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan has accused FIFA of engineering an "injustice" against his side, claiming the governing body wanted Lionel Messi to remain in the World Cup after Egypt fell to a 3-2 defeat against Argentina.

Hassan made no effort to conceal his fury following the final whistle, insisting that the match was manipulated to ensure Argentina — and by extension their talisman Messi — stayed alive in the tournament.

The loss eliminated Egypt from the competition, and Hassan laid the blame squarely at the feet of football's global authority, alleging that the result was anything but a fair contest.

Egypt had pushed Argentina hard, making the scoreline a competitive 3-2, but it was not enough to secure a place in the next round. Hassan argued that the circumstances surrounding the match denied his players the result they deserved.

The comments are certain to draw sharp scrutiny from FIFA, as direct accusations of institutional bias from a national team head coach represent a significant escalation in post-match criticism.