Cairo: Days after Egypt’s FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign came to an end, forward Mostafa Ziko has attracted attention with his remarks on football icons Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, as well as his criticism of the officiating during Egypt’s dramatic defeat to defending champions Argentina.
Ziko emerged as one of Egypt’s standout performers at the tournament, scoring two goals and providing one assist in five appearances. The 29-year-old also found the net in Egypt’s thrilling 3-2 loss to Argentina, a match in which the Pharaohs surrendered a two-goal lead after taking early control. Earlier in the game, another goal scored by Ziko was disallowed following a foul in the build-up.
Speaking after Egypt’s elimination, Ziko acknowledged Messi’s status as one of football’s greatest players but said his lifelong inspiration has always been Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Messi is the greatest player in football, but after Cristiano, because I love Cristiano so much,” Ziko said, adding that he “didn’t even feel Messi’s presence on the field” during the match.
The Egyptian forward also voiced his dissatisfaction with the officiating, claiming that several key decisions went against his team during the contest. He alleged that Egypt had suffered what he described as “clear and obvious injustice” and expressed his belief that the refereeing influenced the outcome of the match. Ziko also claimed that the tournament was “fixed”, though he did not provide any evidence to support the allegation.
Following the defeat, Ziko apologised to Egyptian supporters, saying the team had hoped to make the nation proud but felt the result was beyond the players’ control. He maintained that the officiating had a significant impact on the outcome of the match.
Despite Egypt’s exit from the tournament, Ziko’s performances were among the bright spots of the team’s World Cup campaign. His comments in the aftermath of the defeat have drawn attention for both his admiration of Cristiano Ronaldo and his criticism of the match officiating, adding another chapter to the discussion surrounding one of the tournament’s most dramatic knockout fixtures.
