Controversial Euro-2026 semifinal: outcome of Tevanyan vs Magomedov raises questions

In the 65 kg semifinal at the 2026 European Freestyle Wrestling Championships in Tirana, Vazgen Tevanyan faced Bashir Magomedov.

The bout ended in a 3–3 draw. The victory was awarded to Magomedov based on the criterion of the last scoring action.

However, the ending of the match sparked serious controversy. A few seconds before the final whistle, according to the Armenian side, Magomedov stepped out of bounds, which should have awarded Tevanyan the point. The incident occurred in close proximity to the referee, yet no violation was recorded.

Here is the photo.

The situation was further complicated by the fact that the Armenian coaching staff had already used their challenge earlier in the first period. That protest was rejected, and one point was awarded to Magomedov, ultimately leading to the 3–3 score. According to team representatives, that episode played a decisive role in the outcome of the match.

Thus, the 65 kg final will feature Bashir Magomedov (Russia) against Islam Dudaev (Albania).

The incident has already triggered active discussion among experts and fans, raising concerns about the quality of officiating at the 2026 European Freestyle Wrestling Championships. Earlier, in Greco-Roman wrestling, Karen Aslanyan (63 kg) was also blatantly deprived of victory in a bout against Russia’s Sergey Emelin.