African giants Egypt held on to secure a 1-1 draw against Iran in their final group stage game of the 2026 World Cup despite a late onslaught from the Asians.
The Pharaohs took the lead through Mahmoud Saber as early as the fifth minute, but Ramin Razaeian equalised less than 10 minutes later and would have snatched a victory but for a missed penalty in the first half and a VAR-disallowed goal in the sixth minute of extra time.
Egypt vs Iran: How it happened
Egypt made a flying start, taking the lead in the fifth minute when Mahmoud Saber fired home through a crowded penalty area.
Iran responded impressively and, despite seeing Mehdi Taremi’s penalty saved by Mostafa Shobeir, eventually equalised when Ramin Rezaeian smashed in the rebound from a tight angle.
The closing stages were packed with drama. Taremi headed against the crossbar from a corner, although the referee had already signalled a foul. In the seventh minute of added time, Saeid Ezatolahi’s header also rattled the woodwork.
Iran thought they had snatched a winner when Shoja Khalilzadeh bundled the ball home following a goalmouth scramble. The defender celebrated wildly, removing his shirt and posing with sunglasses, but a lengthy VAR review ruled the goal out for offside, cutting short the celebrations.
The result means Iran, who drew all three group matches, must now wait on outcomes in Groups J, K and L to determine whether they can advance as one of the best third-placed teams. Egypt, whose qualification had already been confirmed, finished second in Group G behind group winners Belgium.