Egypt through to Round of 32 after thrilling 1-1 draw with Iran

A last-gasp VAR disallowance, a saved penalty, and a goalkeeping howler — Group G's final fixture at Lumen Field had it all, as Egypt and Iran played out a gripping 1-1 draw that sends the Africans into the Round of 32.

Egypt set the tempo from the first whistle and were rewarded inside five minutes. Goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand spilled a routine chance and Mahmoud Saber pounced to finish — one of Egypt's quickest-ever World Cup goals and an electric start to the match.

Iran's response was swift and dramatic. They won a penalty before the quarter-hour mark, but Mehdi Taremi's spot-kick was brilliantly kept out by Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir. The reprieve, however, lasted barely a minute. From the rebound, Milad Mohammadi's shot was parried but Ramin Rezaeian hammered home the loose ball to level at 1-1 in the 14th minute.

The second half was a contest of nerve and tactical discipline. Iran's counter-attacks grew sharper as the match wore on while Egypt's defence and Shobeir held firm at crucial moments. Both sides pushed hard for a winner but neither could find a way through.

Then, deep into added time, Iran thought they had snatched it — Seyed Khalilzadeh bundled the ball into the net — only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside, leaving the scoreline unchanged.

Egypt advance as group runners-up on five points. Iran finish third with three points from three draws and will now wait to learn whether their tally is enough to progress as one of the best third-placed sides across all groups.