SEATTLE — Iran head coach Amir Ghalenoei lamented both the conditions his team have had to face in this tournament, but also the bad luck they encountered in the dying minutes of their 1-1 draw with Egypt, as they had a goal disallowed for a tight offside and saw Saeid Ezatolahi’s header rocket off the crossbar in injury time.
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.
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.
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. For a few joyous moments, Iran were convinced they had advanced to the knockout round at the World Cup for the first time in the expanded 48-team pool at this year’s tournament.
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However, the late VAR intervention saw Egypt advance past the group stage for the first time in their history.
Iran, meanwhile, will have to wait one day to find out whether they will qualify for the knockout rounds as one of the best performing third-placed teams. Egypt will play Australia in the round of 32.
“There are rules and it’s all based on technology, I accept that,” Ghalenoei told a news conference. “But I am really upset because of the bad luck we had. Because of millimetres our goal was ruled out. That’s justice. But I’m upset by the bad luck.”
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“I used to think we were an oppressed team,” he added, referring to the travel restrictions placed on Iran during the tournament and visa restrictions that saw some staff members unable to travel for the tournament. “But I note that we are also an unlucky team.”
Iran had been limited to flying in and out of the U.S. from their home base in neighbouring Mexico for their first two World Cup matches. The team arrived in the U.S. the day before their games against New Zealand and Belgium before returning immediately after.
Speaking after their World Cup opener against New Zealand in Los Angeles, Iran boss Ghalenoei said his team is perhaps “the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup” when speaking to the media after his team’s World Cup opener against New Zealand in Los Angeles.
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The team was told it could enter the U.S. two days before the Egypt match in Seattle, the Department of Homeland Security told ABC News on Tuesday.
“When you play in a match, physiologically your body is at a low afterwards,” he said. “And when you suddenly have to get straight on a plane for a three hour flight back it postpones your recovery. This is the third time they’ve done this to us. Their behaviour towards us has been really terrible and I hope the world is aware of that. All of this really hurt us… and, of course, we have a war back home as well.”
He added: “Still, we managed to perform. The world is now proud of Iran and our team.”
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Ghalenoei reiterated his call to FIFA to stand up to the host nation. “I know [FIFA President Gianni] Infainto has tried his best to minimise our problems, but it’s the host nation that isn’t very good to us. But I urge FIFA not let this happen again. I urge Mr. Infantino to stand up to the hosts.”
“Still, in the name of God the compassionate and merciful… Allow me to say to my nation, to the martyrs or my country, to the team… What these young people did will be written in history.”
The Iran team have been forced to comply with what White House FIFA task force head Andrew Giuliani said were previously mandated rules stemming from the war, but those restrictions also align with FIFA guidelines for general team travel.
Read more:Iran cleared to enter U.S. two days prior to match vs. Egypt in Seattle
FIFA’s 2026 World Cup regulations state in Article 18.3 that “each team shall travel from its team base camp to the match venue one day before matchday (MD‑1) and in exceptional cases on MD‑2, and shall return to their team base camp after the match (on MD/MD+1).”
Iran sit sixth in the third-place ranking table, owing to their goal difference of 0. The worst four performers of 12 third-placed teams will not progress to the knockout rounds.
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this story.
