New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani voiced support for Egypt following its controversial FIFA World Cup round of 16 loss to defending champions Argentina, saying the team "got robbed."
Egypt's 3-2 defeat to Argentina on Tuesday dominated soccer headlines, with the controversial circumstances surrounding the match fueling widespread debate.
Egypt's coach and several players criticized a number of refereeing decisions, calling the tournament "rigged" in favor of Argentina.
Speaking to constituents on Wednesday, Mamdani touted the launch of a bus improvement initiative, saying: "Within six months, you will have spent 24 fewer hours on the bus. By the time a year rolls around, you will have saved more than two days of commuting time. That means breakfast with your family. It means having the time to argue balls and strikes at your kid's Little League game. It means getting home for bedtime.”
He added pointedly: "It means agreeing with your friends that Egypt were robbed yesterday. Above all, it means time returned to New Yorkers who don't have nearly enough of it."
After being asked what he would do with the six minutes he could save every day thanks to faster buses, he took another dig at controversial referee calls: "With my extra six minutes, I would probably just watch the replays of Egypt getting robbed. Again and again.”
“You know just gotta throw up the VAR,” he said, meaning the video referee.
Egypt had a second-half goal by Mostafa Ziko ruled out following a VAR review after the referee determined a foul had occurred in the buildup, a decision that drew criticism from players, with one Egyptian international later claiming the World Cup was "fixed."
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