Egypt reached the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time after holding Iran to a 1-1 draw in their final Group G match, while Iran’s qualification hopes were left hanging after a dramatic late winner was ruled out for offside.
The match, played in Seattle and promoted by organisers as a “Pride Match” despite objections from both teams, saw Egypt finish second in Group G and secure a place in the Round of 32.
Belgium claimed top spot in the group after thrashing New Zealand 5-1 in Vancouver. The Red Devils finished ahead of Egypt after drawing 1-1 with the Pharaohs in their opening group match.
Iran, meanwhile, missed the chance to qualify automatically for the knockout stage and must now wait to see whether they progress as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
Egypt made the perfect start when Mahmoud Saber opened the scoring in the fifth minute. Mohamed Salah’s intelligent play inside the penalty area created the opportunity before Saber fired a low shot through the legs of goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.
Iran responded quickly, drawing level in the 14th minute through Ramin Rezaeian after a sustained spell of pressure.
The Iranians thought they had snatched a dramatic winner deep into stoppage time when Shoja Khalilzadeh found the net in the 93rd minute. However, following a VAR review, the goal was disallowed for offside, denying Iran what would have been a historic first appearance in the World Cup knockout rounds.
The result confirmed Egypt’s place in the last 32, while Iran’s fate will be decided after the remaining group-stage fixtures determine the rankings of the best third-placed teams.
