Hassan speculated that the officials had been put under pressure to keep one of the biggest names in the competition.
“Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champions in the competition. Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the running,” he told BeIn Sports.
“In football, there are sometimes external factors that go beyond the technical aspects. The world champions received support at every level.”
Egypt forward Mostafa Zico also criticised the officiating after the match.
“The referee was unfair and wasted the efforts of an entire nation,” Zico said. “From the beginning of the match, he was against us. The tournament is already directed.”
Zico apologised to Egyptian fans, saying the players had hoped to bring joy to the country.
Argentina came from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2, with Enzo Fernandez scoring the stoppage-time winner to send the defending champions into the quarterfinals.
