Iran’s hopes of reaching the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time were dashed after Austria’s dramatic late equaliser against Algeria denied them a place among the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
Amir Ghalenoei’s side concluded their Group G campaign with a 1-1 draw against Egypt on Friday and were forced to wait until Saturday to learn whether their three-point tally would be enough to secure a place in the Round of 32.
Iran had already suffered a major blow when a stoppage-time winner against Egypt was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
Their hopes were briefly revived when Algeria took a 3-2 lead over Austria in stoppage time on Saturday, a result that would have sent Iran through.
However, Austria scored an equaliser with almost the final kick of the match to secure a 3-3 draw, allowing both Austria and Algeria to advance while ending Iran’s campaign in what was the country’s seventh World Cup appearance.