Iran was held to a 1-1 draw in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G match at Seattle Stadium on Friday.
The result pushed Iran to third place in the rankings, leaving them sixth in the rankings of the top third teams. Iran will now have to wait for the results in Groups J, K and L before it can secure its place in the knockouts.
Egyptian Mahmoud Saber struck in the fifth minute, before Ramin Rezaeian in the 14th minute.
Deep into second-half stoppage time, Iran thought they had secured a knockout place when Shojae Khalilzadeh smashed home the winner from close range, but a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) check dismissed the goal. Khalilzadeh was marginally offside.
Published on June 27, 2026
