Egypt secure their maiden FIFA World Cup knockout berth: Stats
What's the story
Egypt made history by qualifying for the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Pharaohs secured their first-ever World Cup knockout spot with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Iran in Seattle on Friday. Mahmoud Saber scored an early goal for Egypt, but Ramin Rezaeian equalized for Iran just nine minutes later. Here are further details.
Controversy
Iran's late goal disallowed
Egypt took an early lead through Mahmoud Saber in the fifth minute. However, Ramin Rezaeian equalized nearly 10 minutes later, scoring the match's only other goal. The match took a dramatic turn when Shoja Khalilzadeh scored what seemed to be a late winner for Iran in stoppage time. However, the goal was disallowed after a video assistant referee (VAR) review ruled it offside.
Next match
Egypt to face Australia; Iran await results
As mentioned, Egypt has made it to the FIFA World Cup knockouts for the first time. They missed the 2022 edition after enduring a group-stage exit in 2018. Egypt's next challenge in the knockout stage will be against Australia on July 3, in Arlington, Texas. Meanwhile, Iran's fate will be decided by the outcomes of the upcoming matches. They have drawn all three games so far.