Egypt booked their place in the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after battling to a draw against Iran in their final Group G match, finishing the group phase unbeaten.
The Pharaohs entered the contest on Saturday morning already in a strong position to qualify, while Iran needed a victory to guarantee progression. In the end, missed opportunities and late VAR drama denied the Asian side a crucial win.
Egypt made a bright start and struck first after just five minutes. Mahmoud Saber reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the area and drilled his finish into the bottom corner to give the Pharaohs an early lead.
Iran had a golden chance to respond moments later when Mohamed Abdelmonem brought down an opponent inside the box and the referee pointed straight to the spot. Mehdi Taremi stepped up, but goalkeeper Oufa Shobeir guessed correctly and produced an important save to keep Egypt ahead.
The pressure from Iran continued, though, and they eventually found an equaliser in the 14th minute through Ramin Rezaeian, who squeezed an effort home from a tight angle after breaking into the area.
The second half grew increasingly tense as Iran pushed desperately for the winner they needed to stay in control of their qualification hopes, while Egypt remained disciplined at the back and looked dangerous on the counterattack.
Drama arrived deep into stoppage time when Shoja Khalilzadeh appeared to have scored what seemed like a dramatic winning goal for Iran after reacting to a rebound inside the six-yard box.
Celebrations, however, were cut short after a lengthy VAR review ruled the goal out for offside in the buildup.
The final whistle confirmed Egypt’s progression to the Round of 32 after finishing second in Group G with five points, level with Belgium but behind on goal difference.
Iran, meanwhile, ended the group stage with three points and must now wait on results elsewhere to discover whether they can still advance as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
