LIVE UPDATES: Egypt 1-1 Iran World Cup 2026 – Follow the action, the goals and celebrations

It’s all over. Egypt and Iran finished the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup without a defeat. Egypt are through to the knockout stage, but Iran must wait for results from other matches in hopes of going through as one of the third-best place teams.

90+5’ NO GOAL! After a VAR review, the referee rules that Iran’s equaliser does not stand due to an offside in the build-up, and the scoreline remains unchanged in the dying moments.

90+4’ The ball is in the net for Iran! Shoja Khalilzadeh reacts quickest to a rebound and taps in from almost on the goal line, but celebrations are cut short as VAR checks the build-up.

90+1’ Alireza Jahanbakhsh comes on for Mohammad Mohebi as Iran push for a late equaliser.

90’ There will be a minimum of six minutes of added time in this tense finish.

84’ Omar Marmoush tries a clever lofted pass into the box, attempting to catch the defence off guard, but the Iran backline reacts quickly to cut out the danger.

79’ Saeid Ezatolahi is shown a yellow card after a late challenge, with referee Szymon Marciniak once again stepping in to calm things down.

75’ Saleh Hardani swings in a cross from near the touchline, but the delivery is not cleanly struck and is comfortably dealt with by the Egypt defence.

71’ Egypt see a corner kick from Zizo hurriedly cleared by the Iran defence, who stand firm under pressure.

65’ Egypt see their corner delivery cleared after a strong defensive intervention denies them from making the set piece count.

62’ Zizo gets onto a good pass and tries his luck from mid-range, but his effort is blocked by the Iran defence. The rebound action results in a corner for Egypt.

56’ Omar Marmoush is penalised for excessive aggression as he tries to break free, with referee Szymon Marciniak calling the foul.

51’ Ramin Rezaeian is judged to have committed a rough tackle, and the referee awards a free kick to Egypt as play continues in Seattle.

46’ Double change for both sides at the restart: Ali Nemati is replaced by Saleh Hardani for Iran, while Emam Ashour makes way for Omar Marmoush, and Mahmoud Saber is replaced by Marwan Attia.

45’ We will have 5 min. of added time.

45+6’ The match has reached half-time.

43’ Ali Nemati is shown a yellow card after a late challenge, with referee Szymon Marciniak stepping in to caution the Iran defender.

40’ Mahmoud Saber tries his luck from distance following a rebound, but his effort drifts wide of the left post and goes out for an Iran goal kick.

35’ Saeid Ezatolahi is penalised for a trip, with Egypt awarded a free kick after the referee spots the infringement.

33’ Mahmoud Saber brings down his opponent with a sliding challenge, conceding a free kick and giving Iran a chance to apply pressure.

31’ Milad Mohammadi cannot reach a crossfield pass as the ball runs out of play, resulting in a goal kick for Egypt.

30’ Brilliant goalkeeping from Alireza Beiranvand! Trezeguet dances through the defence and unleashes a shot from outside the box, but the Iran goalkeeper reacts sharply to make a strong save.

23’ Milad Mohammadi handles the ball, and although he protests, the referee awards a foul against him for the infringement.

21’ Trezeguet weaves through challenges brilliantly before his effort is blocked behind for a corner to Egypt.

19’ Hossein Kanaani goes into the referee’s book after a reckless challenge, with referee Szymon Marciniak showing a clear yellow card.

14’ GOAL FOR Iran! Ramin Rezaeian strikes to put the ball into the back of the net, bringing Iran level in this early spell in Seattle.

12’ Play is briefly halted as Mohamed Abdelmonem receives medical attention on the pitch. The referee stops action and signals for the medical staff to come on for treatment.

11’ The momentum swings immediately after the penalty save, with Egypt trying to reorganise defensively after surviving that major scare.

11’ PENALTY SAVED! Oufa Shobeir guesses correctly and produces a brilliant stop to deny Mehdi Taremi, keeping Egypt in front after a crucial early moment in Seattle.

10’ PENALTY TO IRAN! Mohamed Abdelmonem is penalised for a rough challenge inside the box, and referee Szymon Marciniak immediately points to the spot. Mehdi Taremi steps up to take responsibility for Iran.

10’ Mehdi Taremi walks confidently towards the penalty spot as Iran prepare to take the spot kick.

8’ Ali Nemati is penalised for holding, with referee Szymon Marciniak awarding a free kick to Egypt.

6’ GOAL FOR Egypt! Mahmoud Saber stays composed inside the box and calmly finishes to put the Pharaohs ahead early in Seattle.

5’ Mohamed Salah meets a precise cross inside the danger area and fires towards goal, but an Iran defender reacts quickly to clear the effort away from danger.

2’ Emam Ashour attempts an intelligent chipped pass into the penalty area, but the Iran defence reads the move well and intercepts.

1’ Mohamed Salah is penalised for a foul during an attacking move for Egypt.

1’ The Group G encounter between Egypt and Iran is underway. Enjoy the action from Seattle.

🇪🇬 Egypt vs Iran 🇮🇷

Starting XI pic.twitter.com/JF9Ix1eIS9

— Sepak Pojok (@SepakPojok_ID) June 27, 2026

This will be the first-ever World Cup meeting between Egypt and Iran.

Historically, Iran have enjoyed success against African opposition on football’s biggest stage, remaining unbeaten in their three previous World Cup encounters against teams from the continent with one win and two draws.

Head-to-Head History

Iran know victory would send them into the knockout stage for the first time ever, while a draw may leave them depending on results elsewhere. Their biggest concern remains in attack, having failed to score in nine of their previous 20 World Cup matches.

The Persian Cheetahs adopted an ultra-defensive approach in that match, completing just 50 first-half passes, one of the lowest totals recorded at the tournament since 1966.

Iran arrive with qualification hopes still alive after battling to a goalless draw against Belgium on matchday two. Amir Ghalenoei’s side made headlines with a starting lineup averaging 32 years and 181 days, officially the oldest starting XI in World Cup history.

However, coach Hossam Hassan will be cautious, with Egypt failing to win back-to-back matches across their last nine internationals and also losing their final group-stage game at each of their previous two World Cup appearances.

A win would guarantee first place in Group G, while even defeat could still be enough to progress thanks to their four-point tally.

It was also the first time the Pharaohs had scored three or more goals in a World Cup match, placing them in a strong position heading into the final group game.

Egypt produced a historic performance on matchday two, coming from behind to defeat New Zealand 3-1 and claim their first-ever World Cup victory in what is their fourth appearance at the tournament,

Match News and Current Form

Egypt head into this decisive clash aiming to secure top spot in the group, while Iran are chasing a historic first-ever qualification to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup.

Welcome to Africasoccer’s live coverage of the World Cup 2026 Group G encounter between Egypt and Iran in Seattle.