For an Iran squad whose simple presence at these World Cup Finals was a precariously run thing for so many months, the continuation of their unprecedented journey in North America is hanging, like so many others, by an excruciating 24-hour thread. But only after the most enthralling – and agonising – seven minutes of stoppage time you will ever see.
For West Ham in May, see Iran in June: glorious goalscoring moments at the death taken away in the cruellest of ways. It seemed time stood still in the Egypt penalty area as Iran defender Shojae Khalilzadeh swept the ball home before sliding on his knees towards his euphoric teammates pitchside, in what was the moment of the 2026 World Cup so far. And yet, heartbreakingly, the Iran defender did not cater for the two most unpopular words in football. “After review,” said Polish referee Szymon Marciniak. VAR had its say. We know what comes next.
