FIFA World Cup
In a gripping match in Seattle, Iran was held to a 1-1 draw against Egypt, despite having a goal disallowed for offside and hitting the crossbar in the dying moments, casting doubt on their chances of advancing to the World Cup knockout stage.
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Shoja Khalilzadeh scored from a goalmouth scramble, but after a long review by the video assistant referee, the goal was ruled out. Saeid Ezatolahi also came close, striking the woodwork during the seventh minute of added time.
After Khalilzadeh’s disallowed goal, he celebrated exuberantly, removing his shirt and posing for a photo while wearing sunglasses, only to have his happiness quickly overshadowed.
Despite drawing all three of their group matches, Iran still has a chance to reach the knockout phase of the World Cup for the first time as one of the best third-placed teams, pending results from Groups J, K, and L. Meanwhile, Egypt secured second place in Group G.
Results from earlier matches confirmed Egypt’s advancement to the last 32 before kickoff; they could still finish in any position from first to third in their group.
Belgium topped the group after defeating New Zealand.
The match sprang to life early when Mahmoud Saber netted for Egypt in the fifth minute with a shot through a crowded box.
Iran quickly countered; despite Mehdi Taremi‘s penalty save by Mostafa Shobeir, they managed to equalize shortly after when Ramin Rezaeian scored from a rebound with a powerful shot from a tight angle.
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Egypt’s captain, Mohamed Salah, needing one goal to match the all-time scoring record for Egypt set by head coach Hossam Hassan, was substituted after 57 minutes.
In a thrilling conclusion, Taremi’s header hit the bar as the referee had called a foul earlier, meaning it might not have counted even if it had gone in.
Iran’s participation in the World Cup occurs against the backdrop of tensions between their country and the United States.
The Iran team initially planned to stay in Arizona but moved to Tijuana, Mexico prior to the tournament.
During their campaign, they have faced travel restrictions, only allowed to enter the U.S. the day before their first two matches and required to leave the same day as the games.
A statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security indicated that Iranian players were “permitted to come into the US two days before the match” against Egypt but were still obliged to leave on the day of the game.
Shoja Khalilzadeh’s late goal was disallowed for offside in a tense finale in Seattle [Getty Images]
What Does Iran Need?
Later on Saturday, Iran will learn if they have met the criteria to advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
To qualify, they only need one of the following scenarios to unfold:
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- Please note: specific criteria needed for the third-place qualification remain to be determined.
- DR Congo must not defeat Uzbekistan in Group K, and Uzbekistan must not win by a margin of seven goals.
Meanwhile, Egypt, having finished second in Group G, will face Australia in their Round of 32 match on Friday, July 3 (19:00 BST).