Life is unfair.
That was the first thing Egypt coach Hossam Hassan told the media after his team's 3-2 loss to Argentina in the last 16.
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The Pharaohs were minutes away from a historic upset, leading 2-0 before Argentina scored three goals in 13 minutes.
For Egyptians, the match was an emotional rollercoaster that ended in outrage over refereeing decisions.
Hassan made a crossed 'X' gesture during the match, FIFA's anti-discrimination symbol, and later accused the governing body of wanting Argentina to win.
He claimed Egypt was wrongly denied a second goal after a VAR check for a foul 100 yards away, and that a penalty should have been awarded before Argentina's third goal.
"Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition?" Hassan told beIN Sports.
Conspiracy Theories and Disinformation
Hassan's remarks sparked a firestorm of conspiracy theories.
French referee François Letexier faced intense scrutiny; his Wikipedia page was vandalized to falsely identify him as Jewish, fueling claims of a Zionist conspiracy tied to Hassan's support for Palestine.
As Argentina progressed, theories followed. The Argentinian federation faced an FBI investigation for alleged money laundering.
A controversial VAR decision led to Switzerland's top striker being sent off in the quarter-final. Social media posts claimed the World Cup was "rigged for Messi."
VAR technology has been at the center of nearly every major controversy. Critics argue it is applied inconsistently.
