World Cup 2026: Egypt clash is a ‘life or death’ affair – Iran legend Sadegh Varmiziar

Former Iran international Sadegh Varmiziar has declared his outfit upcoming 2026 World Cup clash against Egypt as a ‘life or death’ affair as the battle for knockout stage heats up.

Egypt will face Iran on Saturday morning in the third round of Group G, with both sides approaching the fixture from very different positions in the standings and momentum.

The Pharaohs arrive full of confidence after securing a historic 3–1 victory over New Zealand in their second group match, their first-ever World Cup win, boosting morale significantly after a challenging start to the tournament.

Iran, meanwhile, enter the match following a disciplined and hard-fought 0–0 draw against Belgium, a performance that showcased their defensive organisation and resilience despite not securing all three points.

Speaking to Khabar Sport, Varmiziar admitted the pressure surrounding the fixture but insisted Iran still have a chance to produce a positive outcome.

“The day of the match against Egypt is undoubtedly difficult for the national team players, but this difficult day may end with a happy ending for us,” said Sadegh Varmiziar.

He went on to analyse Iran’s recent performances, pointing out both weaknesses and improvements across their opening two matches.

“We had the opportunity to win the first match, but unfortunately the young players were a bit nervous and the coach did not put together a solid defensive plan for the team. Nemati and Khalilzadeh were not a successful duo, and we saw how their performance improved in the next match despite the Belgian pressure. There is no need to regret the first match. We implemented a good defensive tactic in the second match and were able to collect two points.”

Varmiziar also suggested that Iran’s tactical evolution in the tournament will force Egypt to rethink their approach, particularly after observing contrasting Iranian styles against Belgium and New Zealand.

“Now that we have shown two styles of play against Belgium and New Zealand, the Egyptian coach will reconsider his view of both styles. He will certainly have a plan to open up these lines after seeing how our team keeps its goal with 9 players in defense.”

He added that Egypt’s attacking quality will make the contest even more demanding, warning that focusing on only a few star players would be a mistake.

“I heard that besides Mohamed Salah and Marmoush, they have another player called Zico who is also a good goalscorer, so we should not focus all our attention on stopping Salah and Marmoush only, but we should also think about the Egyptian national team’s wingers, as they are very dangerous.”

The former midfielder also praised Egypt’s attacking display against Belgium, suggesting they were unlucky not to cause even more damage in that match.

“They threatened Courtois’ goal many times in the Belgium match, and if any other goalkeeper had been in goal, Belgium would have thrown up their hands (given up) as New Zealand did against Egypt.”

With qualification still within reach, Varmiziar underlined the importance of securing at least a point, calling the fixture potentially decisive for Iran’s tournament survival.

“Given that this match is a matter of life or death for us, we must come away with at least a point. This single point could change the history of Iranian football for the first time and we will qualify for the second round.”

He also expressed concern about Iran’s attacking limitations, noting the absence of a strong attacking partnership and the impact of missing key personnel.

“Mehdi Taremi still lacks an effective attacking duo like Sardar Azmoun. Certainly, if Azmoun had participated with the national team in this tournament, the situation would have been different… However, I believe that Mohebbi and Rezaeian are capable of deciding the match against Egypt.”

As the decisive clash approaches, both nations remain locked in a tense battle for progression, with Iran seeking stability and Egypt aiming to continue their historic breakthrough on the world stage.