Egypt secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the round of 16 after drawing Iran 1-1 in their final Group G match, while Iran’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages depend on results elsewhere.
The Pharaohs were already guaranteed progress before kick-off following Belgium’s win over New Zealand earlier in the day. However, the draw confirmed that Hossam Hassan’s team finished second in Group G.
Iran, meanwhile, finished third in the group with three draws from three games and now have to wait to find out if they can progress as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
Egypt finished second despite the draw
Egypt got off to a flying start in Seattle and took the lead after just five minutes when Mahmoud Saber fired through a crowded penalty area.
Iran responded strongly and had a chance to equalize after winning a penalty, but Mehdi Taremi saw his spot-kick saved by goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir.
The Iranians recovered quickly, and Ramin Rezaeian converted a rebound from a narrow angle to make it 1-1.
Captain Mohamed Salah, who remains one goal short of coach Hossam Hassan’s Egyptian record, was substituted in the 57th minute.
The draw means Egypt will meet Australia in the round of 16 on Friday, July 3, in Dallas.
The fate of Iran remains uncertain
Iran pushed hard for the winner, but were repeatedly denied in dramatic fashion.
Shoja Khalilzadeh thought he had scored during a goalmouth scramble, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR review.
Deep into stoppage time, Saeid Ezatolahi hit the crossbar with a header, while Taremi had earlier hit the box from a corner, although the referee had already blown for a foul.
Despite missing out on automatic qualification, Iran are still in contention to reach the knockout stages for the first time in their history.
Their qualification now hinges on results in Groups J, K and L, with the Asian side needing favorable results to finish among the top eight third-placed teams.
