Iran’s FIFA World Cup fate was left hanging in the balance after a dramatic 1-1 draw against Egypt on Friday, with a stoppage-time winner ruled out by VAR to deny them a potentially decisive victory in Group G.
Shoja Khalilzadeh thought he had fired Iran into the Round of 32 when he bundled home deep into added time, sparking wild celebrations on the Iranian bench. But a lengthy VAR review deemed the defender marginally offside, overturning the goal and leaving Iran to wait anxiously to learn whether three points from the group stage will be enough to qualify as one of the tournament’s eight best third-placed teams.
Already assured of qualification, Egypt finished second in Group G on five points, behind Belgium only on goal difference, and will face Australia in the Round of 32 in Dallas on July 3.
The match burst into life almost immediately as Egypt opened the scoring inside five minutes. Mohamed Salah sparked the move before Mahmoud Saber’s effort slipped through the hands of Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand to hand the Pharaohs an early lead.
Iran had the perfect opportunity to respond moments later when Mehdi Taremi won a penalty after being brought down in the area. However, goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir guessed correctly to keep out the striker’s spot-kick before producing another fine save, only for Ramin Rezaeian to convert the rebound from a tight angle in the 14th minute.
After a frantic opening quarter, the tempo dipped. Egypt, content with a point, retreated into a compact defensive shape, allowing Iran to dominate possession but struggle to create clear-cut opportunities against a disciplined backline.
The drama returned in the closing moments. Taremi rattled the crossbar with a powerful header before Khalilzadeh appeared to snatch a famous winner in the third minute of stoppage time, sending Iran’s players and coaching staff into jubilant celebrations.
Those celebrations, however, were short-lived. VAR intervened to rule the goal out for offside, ensuring the match ended level and leaving Iran’s World Cup hopes dependent on results elsewhere.
The draw saw Iran finish third in Group G with three points, while Egypt progressed to the knockout stage unbeaten.