Iran's hopes of securing an automatic place in the World Cup knockout stage were halted in dramatic fashion after a late goal in a 1-1 draw with Egypt was disallowed for offside following a VAR review. The decision in Seattle meant Egypt advanced from Group G for the first time in its history and set up a round-of-32 match against Australia, while Iran was left to wait to learn whether it would progress as one of the tournament's best third-placed teams. Iran sat sixth in the third-place ranking with a goal difference of zero, with four of the 12 third-placed teams due to be eliminated.
The decisive moment came in the 93rd minute when Shoja Khalilzadeh appeared to have scored the goal that would send Iran through as Group G runner-up behind Belgium. The celebration was cut short when video review determined that part of Khalilzadeh's foot was beyond the last defender, resulting in the goal being ruled out for offside. Iran then came close again in injury time when Saeid Ezatolahi's header struck the crossbar. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei said he accepted the ruling because it was based on the rules and technology, but described the outcome as a matter of bad luck after his team fell short by what he said were millimeters.
Ghalenoei also linked Iran's tournament difficulties to travel and visa restrictions tied to the war involving the United States, one of the host nations. Iran's base camp had been moved from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, and the team had been required to fly into the United States shortly before matches and return soon after, a schedule Ghalenoei said disrupted recovery and harmed preparation. He argued that the treatment of his team had been unfair and urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to prevent a similar situation in future tournaments. At the same time, FIFA's tournament regulations state that teams are to travel from base camp to match venues one day before games, or in exceptional cases two days before, and return after the match.
The disallowed goal also underscored the central role of VAR in the 2026 tournament. Video review, first used at a World Cup in 2018, is being supported this year by semi-automated camera systems, AI-assisted review prompts and upgraded display technology in centralized officiating rooms at FIFA's International Broadcast Center in Dallas. Supporters of the system say those tools are making decisions faster and more precise, and FIFA has highlighted the sophistication of the setup. But VAR remains contentious, particularly when outcomes hinge on marginal offside calls such as the one that denied Iran a place in the knockout round on the night.