Egypt draw with Iran, advance from Group G as Belgium beat New Zealand

Egypt drew 1-1 with Iran in Seattle to finish second in Group G and advance to the round of 32, while Belgium beat New Zealand 5-1 in the other group match to reshape the standings.

Egypt take the lead

Egypt went ahead early through Saber after a mistake by Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand. The goal gave Egypt control of a tense match that carried qualification consequences for both sides.

Iran responded through Ramin Rezaeian, who brought the match level before the break. Mehdi Taremi later had a chance to put Iran ahead from the penalty spot, but his effort was saved.

Late VAR drama

The closing stages brought more pressure for Iran, including a late goal that was ruled out by VAR for offside. That decision left the match level at 1-1 and confirmed Egypt’s place in the knockout stage.

Belgium reshape Group G

Elsewhere in Group G, Belgium beat New Zealand 5-1. The result confirmed Belgium’s own progress and altered the group standings, with Egypt finishing second.

Iran’s fate is now tied to the best third-placed-team rankings, so its place in the round of 32 is not yet certain. The match also drew added attention because of the Pride Match branding dispute in Seattle, with AP reporting objections from both Iran and Egypt and Seattle organizers saying the Pride programming had been planned in advance.