Iran coach on VAR call: 'We're an unlucky team'
Key takeaways
- - Marcotti: Iran face wait over World Cup future, as fate intervenes again vs.
- Khalilzadeh ripped his shirt off before being mobbed by the entire Iran team and then emerged from the group sporting a pair of novelty sunglasses after he had seemingly given his side a 2-1 lead.
- However, the late VAR intervention saw Egypt advance past the group stage for the first time in their history.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Iran, who had their base camp moved from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, ahead of the tournament amid the country's war with the co-hosting United States, came into the game knowing a win would have seen them qualify for the knockout rounds as runners-up in Group G behind Belgium.
- Marcotti: Iran face wait over World Cup future, as fate intervenes again vs. Egypt
In a tense match in Seattle, Iran's Shoja Khalilzadeh thought he had scored perhaps the most famous goal in Iranian history as he shot beyond Mostafa Shobeir in the 93rd minute, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside owing to the fact the front half of his foot had strayed just beyond the line of the last defender.