Iran had a stoppage-time goal disallowed as they drew 1-1 with Egypt in their final Group G match at Seattle Stadium on Friday.
Defender Shojae Khalilzadeh appeared to have scored the winner three minutes into added time after a scramble in the Egypt penalty area. But following a VAR review, the goal was ruled out for a narrow offside.
The match also drew strong attention off the pitch, with Iranian football fans gathering at Tehran’s “Book Garden” venue to follow their national team’s third 2026 FIFA World Cup appearance against Egypt.
Iran, who are trying to reach the knockout stage for the first time, finished third in Group G with three points. They must now wait to see whether they qualify as one of the best third-placed teams.
Egypt had already secured a place in the last 32 and finished second in the group after Belgium beat New Zealand 5-1 to take top spot on goal difference.
Egypt will face Australia in Arlington, Texas, on 3 July.
Egypt took the lead in the fifth minute when Mahmoud Saber drove a loose ball through a crowd of Iranian defenders and past goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.
Iran responded quickly. Mehdi Taremi won a penalty in the 11th minute, but his spot-kick was saved by Mostafa Shoubir.
Three minutes later, Iran equalised when Ramin Rezaeian scored from a tight angle after another save from the Egyptian goalkeeper.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan started with a strong side in search of victory, although he substituted former Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah in the 57th minute.
The first half produced 14 shots between the two teams, five of them on target, and four yellow cards.
The pace of the game slowed after the frantic opening spell, but Iran increased the pressure after the second-half hydration break.
Their late push brought a dramatic finish, with Khalilzadeh briefly thinking he had scored the winner before VAR intervened.
Iran also hit the crossbar in stoppage time as Egypt held on for the draw.
The result left Egypt level with Belgium on five points, but Belgium finished first in Group G with a superior goal difference.
Video from outside Seattle Stadium showed police setting up barricades ahead of the match, while people gathered with Iranian flags and chanted near the venue.
The protest took place as the Iran-Egypt match attracted attention beyond the pitch, with Seattle marking Pride events around the fixture.
Local organisers had designated the match as part of Seattle’s Pride Match Day, drawing objections from both the Iranian and Egyptian football federations.
FIFA said rainbow flags and other symbols would be allowed inside the stadium as long as they complied with the tournament’s code of conduct.
The match went ahead without major disruption inside the stadium.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrai...
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the ...
Indonesian rescuers are searching for 130 people after a passenger ship carrying 243 people sank in the Java Sea following bad weather, while 113 p...
Maritime trackers received new reports of an attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), adding to concerns about energy supplies after Saudi Arabia shut down a vital oil pipeline on Saturday.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrainian Railways said that the country's railways were facing systematic attacks for a second day and warned of widespread delays.
Dubai’s property market has spent years climbing. Now, for the first time since 2021, prices are moving in the opposite direction.
Saudi Arabia has temporarily shut down its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after it was hit by a drone attack, with Riyadh and Baghdad saying the strike originated from Iraq.
Swedes vote in an election on Sunday (13 September) that could see the far-right enter government for the first time if the country's right-wing parties can form a majority.
A Kyiv-Warsaw train was struck near the Polish border, Ukraine's state railway firm said on Sunday. No passengers were injured. Ukrainian Railways said that the country's railways were facing systematic attacks for a second day and warned of widespread delays.
Indonesian rescuers are searching for 130 people after a passenger ship carrying 243 people sank in the Java Sea following bad weather, while 113 people have been evacuated and six have died, the country’s search and rescue agency said on Sunday.
China will lead the creation of an open source platform among BRICS members to promote cooperation on large language models, Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Sunday.
Swedes vote in an election on Sunday (13 September) that could see the far-right enter government for the first time if the country's right-wing parties can form a majority.
Philippine rescuers recovered 41 more charred remains from a ferry fire on Saturday (12 September), taking the death toll to 76, while 13 people remained unaccounted for as forensic teams worked to identify the victims.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment