- Actor-model Gauahar Khan mocked Lionel Messi after Argentina’s win over Egypt at World Cup 2026
- Egypt Football Association lodged official complaint over refereeing and VAR decisions in match
- Messi missed a penalty and faced criticism for theatrics during the Argentina-Egypt game
Actor–model Gauahar Khan took another potshot at Argentine star Lionel Messi after Argentina's controversial win over Egypt at the World Cup 2026.
Her new post came a day after Egypt's exit sparked widespread criticism of match officials, with the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) formally raising concerns about refereeing decisions and the use of VAR.
What Gauahar said
Gauahar reposted a reel on her Instagram Stories that showed a man miming Messi's performance during the match. Two other men lifted the third as he put the ball into the goal with his hands.
In another gag, the man was seen playacting a failed pass and then lifting the ball with his hands again. The referee was also shown declaring it a goal after the player kicked the ball from outside the goal.
Gauahar captioned the roast video, “Hahahahahah! On point!”
A day earlier, Gauahar had slammed Messi for his theatrics during the match, writing, “What a loser, messy not Messi. Actor of the saddest order.”
Controversy
Though Argentina secured its place in the quarter-finals, the match against Egypt stayed in public conversation because of Messi's missed penalty, disputed refereeing decisions, and a viral reaction attributed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
The debate began in the first half, when Argentina came under pressure from an Egyptian side chasing a historic result.
Messi missed a penalty, and social media soon filled with images purportedly showing Infantino reacting from the stands.
One image appeared to show him holding his head in frustration; another showed him biting his fist as Argentina struggled early in the match. Those images were false and were not taken during the game. Several football meme accounts shared them with captions suggesting FIFA officials were worried about Argentina's position in the tournament.
Hours after the defeat, the EFA reportedly filed an official complaint against referee Letexier and his officiating crew. In a statement shared on social media, the federation said it could not remain silent about refereeing decisions and what it described as a failure to make appropriate use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system.
“The Egyptian Football Association cannot remain silent regarding the refereeing decisions witnessed during the match against Argentina, as well as the failure to make appropriate use of the Video Assistant Referee [VAR] system,” the statement read.