Egypt 1–1 Iran: VAR Decides a Thrilling World Cup 2026 Group G Finale

The match kicked off at a blistering pace. In the 5th minute, Egyptian midfielder Mahmoud Saber capitalized on a loose ball, smashing it past Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand to give the Pharaohs an early lead . Just nine minutes later, Iran responded. After Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir saved a penalty from Iran's all-time leading scorer Mehdi Taremi in the 11th minute, Iran refused to relent. Ramin Rezaeian slammed in the equalizer from a tight angle to level the score .

The drama intensified in stoppage time. In the 93rd minute, defender Shoja Khalilzadeh bundled the ball into the net from close range, sparking wild celebrations from the Iranian bench, who believed they had secured victory. However, after a VAR review, the goal was ruled out for offside by the narrowest of margins. The on-field decision was reversed, and the score remained 1–1 . In the chaotic final moments, Iran also hit the crossbar twice through headers from Saeid Ezatolahi and Mehdi Taremi, and Egypt's Yasser Ibrahim made a crucial goal-line block to deny Rezaeian a second .

This thrilling draw finalized the Group G standings :

Knockout Stage Implications

• Egypt qualified for the Round of 32 for the first time in their World Cup history, which dates back to their debut in 1934 .
• Egypt will face Australia in the Round of 32 .
• Iran finished third in the group with three points and must wait on the results of other groups to learn if they will advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams .

Match Awards & Post-Match Comments

• Ramin Rezaeian was awarded the Super Player of the Match award for his crucial equalizer .
• Egypt coach Hossam Hassan expressed immense pride in his team's historic achievement of reaching the knockout stage for the first time, acknowledging the tense and dramatic finish .
• Goalscorer Mahmoud Saber described the moment as "a dream come true" and praised the team's fighting spirit to hold on against Iran's relentless late pressure .