- Iran will be eliminated from the 2026 World Cup – although it had meanwhile virtually qualified for the knockout phase as third in the group.
- A last-minute equalizer by Sasa Kalajdzic (3-3 between Austria and Algeria in the 96th minute) cost Iran progress.
- On Saturday, the football portal “The Athletic” still had a 90 percent probability that Iran was a Nati opponent.
The feared “disgrace of Kansas City” did not materialize. Instead of a tactical 0-0, which would have brought Austria and Algeria together into the knockout phase of the World Cup, both played a wild 3-3 with a crazy final phase. Algeria are now opponents of the national team in the round of 16 on Friday at 5 a.m. (live with us).
The big loser was in Tijuana: Iran. Several times he was virtually third in the group as the eighth best in the round of 16, each time only until an equalizer was achieved again. When Riyad Mahrez made it 3-2 for Algeria in the 93rd minute, the Iranian dream suddenly seemed to come true.
Iran player celebrates with “Thug Life” glasses
But then the punchline came at the very end. In the 96th minute, Sasa Kalajdzic, who had come on as a substitute seconds earlier, headed the score to 3-3 with his first touch of the ball. Austria was saved. Iran fell into the valley of tears – the unimaginable happened, as the football portal calculated “The Athletic” on Saturday that there is a 90 percent probability that the Nati opponent will be Iran.
Iranian Shoja Khalilzadeh’s celebration now seems even more bizarre. He scored the much celebrated (supposed) 2-1 winning goal against Egypt in stoppage time. After a rebound, the 37-year-old defender was there.
Khalilzadeh then sprinted to the bench and let himself be celebrated, the cheering never ended. At the end he even put on a pair of “Thug Life” glasses. Perfect material for social media. But the ecstasy didn’t last long. The VAR intervened and the goal was disallowed due to offside.
Iranians called for fair play
The big show turned into a big drama within seconds. And the beginning of the end for Iran, which now has to return home. Bitter for the team around Iran captain Mehdi Taremi. He raged after the Egypt game: “It’s a disaster World Cup.”
He was referring to the fact that because of entry restrictions, the Iranian national team had to enter the United States from the World Cup headquarters in Tijuana, Mexico, for every game and was only allowed to stay in the United States for short periods before and after the game.
Especially: Iran’s national team called for fair play before the Saturday games. As after the second preliminary round game in Los Angeles, “Team Melli” left a handwritten message in the dressing room after the Egypt game. “Fair play is not just a principle in the football rules, it is the soul of the game,” the Iranians wrote on a blackboard.
Take part in the 20-minute betting game for the World Cup and join your community’s betting group straight away. Whether you’re a professional footballer or a gut-feeling bettor: everyone can take part and win great prizes.
Soccer World Cup 2026 in the USA, Canada and Mexico – all information
48 teams, three host countries and lots of stories. Here you will find the most important content about the 2026 World Cup. The tournament will take place from June 11th to July 19th in the USA, Canada and Mexico. Switzerland plays in Group B against Qatar, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Canada.
Nils Hänggi (nih) has been at 20 minutes since 2019. He is a sports editor and part of the Social Responsibility Board. He often writes about football.
