Egypt 1-1 Iran: FIFA World Cup 2026 – as it happened

The live coverage of Egypt vs Iran has ended.

Iran held Egypt to a 1-1 draw, but a flurry of missed chances in the dying minutes meant they missed out on confirming knockout qualification tonight.

Iran finish third in Group G, but could still advance further as one of the eight best third-placed teams.

Thanks for joining us, and we will be back on Sunday for live action from other group matches.

On behalf of everyone at Al Jazeera Sport, this is Manasi Pathak signing off.

Egypt fan Bilal Ali says he would like to keep politics out of football.

But with all the abuses and atrocities happening against Palestinians, he cannot just enjoy the game and remain silent.

Ali brought a Palestinian flag to the stadium.

“I feel guilty sometimes when I get to [see] the game and our people in Palestine and our people in Palestine just get bombed and killed,” he told Al Jazeera.

Several Egyptian and Iranian fans shouted “free Palestine” as they walked past Ali with his flag.

Iran must wait to know if they’re through to the knockouts. Until then, let’s look back at their results so far.

Team Melli end the group phase on three points, drawing all three games.

• Iran 2-2 New Zealand
• Belgium 0-0 Iran
• Egypt 1-1 Iran

For now, Iran are sixth in the race for the best third-placed teams. Eight of those can go to the round of 32. Iran will have to wait until Sunday to find out if they’re one of those sides.

Leandro Trossard scored ⁠twice ⁠as Belgium beat New Zealand 5-1 to breeze into the knockout stage of ⁠the World Cup, winning Group G to set up a last-32 clash ⁠with one of the eight best third-placed teams.

After having a penalty award overturned following a VAR check, Belgium broke the deadlock in ‌the 28th minute when De Bruyne’s corner bounced off New Zealand defender Tim Payne and dropped perfectly for Trossard to poke into the net from close range.

The 31-year-old netted again five minutes ⁠after the break, picking ⁠up an incisive pass from De Bruyne and rifling the ball home at the second attempt after his ⁠initial shot was blocked. De Bruyne then swept the ⁠ball in from the edge ⁠of the box to get on the scoresheet himself in the 66th minute.

Elijah Just netted a late ‌consolation goal for the Kiwis before substitutes Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers scored ‌to ‌ensure top spot in the group ahead of Egypt.

Iran face an anxious wait ⁠to ⁠see if they will progress to the World Cup knockout stages ⁠after they came from behind to hold Egypt to a 1-1 ⁠draw and finish third in Group G on Friday.

Egypt, whose qualification for the last-32 was already guaranteed, took the ‌lead inside five minutes through Mahmoud Saber, before Ramin Rezaeian equalised from a tight angle in the 14th minute of a frantic start.

Iran’s Mehdi Taremi – who had a penalty ⁠saved in the first ⁠half – hit the crossbar with a late header before Shoja Khalilzadeh thought he had scored a ⁠dramatic 93rd-minute winner, but it was ruled out ⁠for offside.

The draw means ⁠Egypt finish second with five points, behind Belgium on goal difference. Iran are third on ‌three points and must wait for confirmation that they will go through ‌as ‌one of the eight best third-placed teams.

Iran are still in the running for a spot in the knockout stages. They are currently the sixth best third-place team. Eight will make it through to the round of 32.

With three groups yet to wrap up, Iran need at least one of the remaining third-place teams to end up with a worse record.

That can happen through various scenarios.

Iran have three points with a zero goal differential and three goals scored.

If Argentina beat Algeria tomorrow, Iran are through.

The calculations get more complicated with a few of the other groups.

For example, Ghana would need to win against Croatia without Panama beating England by more than three goals.

For now, Iran’s fate is not in their own hands. It will be decided by other teams playing outside of their group.

The 1-1 draw in Seattle is enough to send Egypt to the round of 32. It is the first time they have reached the knockouts, 92 years on from their World Cup debut in 1934.

Saber scored their lone goal, which was set up by Salah.

Egypt and Belgium are the latest teams to reach the round of 32 – 28 of those spots have been taken up now.

28/32 ✅#FIFAWorldCup #Qualified | @McDonalds pic.twitter.com/hOo5f1ZJmz

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 27, 2026

Amid the wild celebrations over the cancelled goal, a fan jumped onto the pitch. Several security agents swarmed him and struggled to subdue him, but they eventually succeeded.

The pitch invader appeared to be celebrating, not protesting.

What a contest in Seattle! The action-packed Group G game ends 1-1.

Egypt go through to the World Cup knockouts, as the runners-up of this group, with five points.

Belgium have beaten New Zealand 5-1, and take the top spot.

Iran, third with three points, can still advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams, but they will have to wait longer to know that.

The substitute leaps high and heads the ball firmly, but it ricochets off the bar.

VAR shows a replay of the earlier chance: Khalilzadeh was offside by barely a millimetre. A narrow margin that could decide Iran’s fate.

Iran can still reach the knockouts, but it’s looking very tight.

90+8 mins: Egypt 1-1 Iran

A heartbreak for Iran.

Its joy is short-lived.

VAR finds Khalilzadeh was offside when the ball was played into the box. That’s a very tight call.

90+5 mins: Egypt 1-1 Iran

Iran have done it! They have come from behind to find the winning goal in stoppage time!

They’re going to the World Cup knockouts for the first time in the country’s history.

Bedlam breaks out in Seattle, as Khalilzadeh fires!

Iran, who have been dangerous from set-pieces, find the net from a free kick as the goalkeeper comes way off his line, allowing Khalilzadeh to poke home a loose ball in the box.

90+2 mins: Egypt 1-2 Iran

Jahanbakhsh comes on for his 101st appearance for Iran, in the team’s final change. He replaces Mohebi.

The fourth official has informed us we have six minutes added.

90+1 mins: Egypt 1-1 Iran

From a corner, Taremi leaps high and heads the ball, which comes off the crossbar!

However, the effort would not have counted as the goalkeeper was impeded.

89 mins: Egypt 1-1 Iran

Lots of goals are flying in in the other Group G game.

Belgium were 3-0 up, then just scored to put New Zealand 3-1 trailing. That put Egypt on top of Group G for a moment, with Belgium slipping to second.

However, Lukaku fired again, so Belgium are now 4-1 up, and back on top of Group G.

Iran remain third, and have a slim chance of reaching the round of 32. They will not know their fate until Sunday.

Egypt and Belgium are assured of advancing.

86 mins: Egypt 1-1 Iran

Substitute Abdelkarim leaps high to latch onto a cross played in the box by Marmoush, but it’s blocked well.

Egypt coach Hassan is not happy with that.

84 mins: Egypt 1-1 Iran

Fatouh is receiving medical attention on the sideline, so Egypt are down to 10 players for now.

They’ve run out of substitutions, too.

83 mins: Egypt 1-1 Iran

Iran’s Ezatolahi picks a yellow for his foul on Marmoush – he pulled the Egypt forward from behind while he was running up the field.

80 mins: Egypt 1-1 Iran

Abdelkarim, Egypt’s 18-year-old forward, replaces the experienced Ziko.

Meanwhile, Iran still have three substitutions remaining.

77 mins: Egypt 1-1 Iran