François Letexier unlikely to be stood down despite Egypt request after Argentina defeat | OneFootball

After Argentina beat Egypt 3-2 to reach quarter-finals, the Pharaohs demanded French referee François Letexier be removed from the World Cup. Their complaint also covered his assistants on the touchline and in the VAR room. FIFA appointments are handled by its referees committee, so teams cannot veto officials.

According to L'Équipe, FIFA is unlikely to grant Egypt's request. Letexier's continuation will be judged on his display, officials' reports and the disputed VAR clips.

On that evidence, his place seems unlikely to be jeopardised. However, referees from nations still involved in the quarter-finals are often, though not always, stood down. If France beat Morocco on Thursday, the positions of Letexier and fellow French referee Clément Turpin could be weakened.

Past complaints of this kind have never directly triggered an exclusion. By contrast, poor displays have seen referees removed, notably in 2002 when Italy protested against Ecuadorian Bryan Moreno after the 1-2 loss to South Korea, with around a quarter of an hour of added time preceding their exit. He did not take charge of another match at that World Cup in Japan and South Korea, and FIFA never said it was due to Italian protests. In 2020, Moreno was detained in a United States prison for drug trafficking.

Internationally, Letexier and Turpin are highly rated despite frequent domestic criticism. Letexier refereed the Euro 2024 final, Spain 2-1 England, and was named IFFHS World’s Best Referee that year. In 2025 Turpin topped the IFFHS list, with Letexier second.

Source: L'Équipe