Referees are doing an excellent job, says Argentine World Cup hero

Argentina defender Lisandro Martínez has firmly shut down media speculation and complaints regarding the standard of refereeing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The center-back voiced his complete support for the match officials just days after Egypt heavily criticized the refereeing decisions made during their dramatic 3-2 Round of 16 loss to the South American giants.

The high-stakes knockout clash sparked formal complaints from the Egyptian Football Association regarding the handling of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

The main point of contention came in the 62nd minute when a Mostafa Zico goal was disallowed, a decision that would have given the North Africans a commanding 3-0 lead before Argentina launched their late, eleven-minute comeback.

While FIFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina was forced to publicly deny any allegations of bias, Martínez completely brushed aside the outrage when questioned by reporters.

"No, absolutely nothing. I think they are doing an excellent job. That's something for you [the media], who sometimes generate the controversies. We concern ourselves with giving our best on the pitch and nothing more," he said.

With the refereeing debate firmly put to rest, Martínez and his defensive partner Cristian Romero have turned their complete attention to their upcoming quarterfinal match against Switzerland at the Kansas City Stadium.

The European side enters the fixture having reached the final eight for the first time in 72 years after eliminating Colombia in a heart-throbbing penalty shootout.

The Argentine squad is refusing to take their next opponents lightly, acknowledging the supreme physicality and structural organisation that the Swiss backline possesses, saying, "As always, what identifies this team is respecting the opponent," Martínez noted, praising Switzerland's ability to consistently compete with the world's best.

Romero echoed that sentiment, emphasising that the squad's primary goal is simply correcting their own defensive mistakes from the previous round rather than worrying about external drama.