In Seattle’s Group G finale, Iran and Egypt settled for a 1‑1 draw that left the Iranians on the brink of a historic knockout debut. Shoja Khalilzadeh struck in injury time, but VAR ruled him off‑side, erasing what would have been a last‑gasp winner. Egypt, reduced to ten men after a late injury, held on to claim second place.

Mahmoud Saber opened the scoring after forcing goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand into a mistake, while Ramin Rezaeian equalised on the rebound from Mehdi Taremi’s saved penalty. Iran pressed hard, with Saeid Ezatolahi heading against the bar in the 97th minute, but the off‑side call extinguished any chance of automatic progression.

With Belgium’s 5‑1 rout of New Zealand securing top of the group, Egypt’s second‑place finish sets up a Round of 16 clash against Australia in Dallas. Iran now rely on being one of the best third‑placed teams, a scenario that hinges on Algeria drawing and DR Congo winning their final matches. The result leaves both sides scrambling for qualification.

The match also featured a missed penalty by Taremi, saved by Mostafa Shobeir, and several near‑misses, including Ezatolahi’s header on the bar and Yasser Ibrahim’s block on Rezaeian. Those moments underscore the fine margins that will decide whether Iran advances as a third‑place qualifier or exits the tournament.