Key Points
- Drew Iran 1-1 to finish second in Group G with five points, behind Belgium on goal difference.
- First knockout-stage berth in Egypt's World Cup history after exits in 1934, 1990 and 2018.
- Mahmoud Saber scored; Iran's stoppage-time winner was overturned by VAR for offside.
- Faces Australia in the round of 32 on July 3.
Egypt has been to three World Cups and left all three after the group stage without a win. The fourth ended differently. A 1-1 draw with Iran in the group finale carried the Pharaohs into second place in Group G and into the knockout round for the first time in the country's history.
Mahmoud Saber opened the scoring before Ramin Rezaeian equalized for Iran. The drama came in stoppage time, when Shoja Khalilzadeh thought he had won it for Iran in the 93rd minute — only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside and preserve the point Egypt needed. Egypt finished on five points, level with Belgium but behind the Group G winners on goal difference after the two sides drew their opener.
For a federation with a star of Mohamed Salah's stature and a record seven Africa Cup of Nations titles, a first trip to the second round reads less like a fairy tale than an overdue correction. Egypt's previous appearances, in 1934, 1990 and 2018, produced a reputation as a team that qualified but never traveled. The expanded 48-team format gave the Pharaohs the margin they had never had, and they used it.
Group G was supposed to belong to Belgium. The top-10 side needed until its final match — a 5-1 win over New Zealand — to overtake Egypt and top the group. Egypt's steadier path, a draw with Belgium and the point against Iran, was the quieter route through.
It also puts Egypt in company it has chased for years: alongside Ivory Coast and debutants Cape Verde, African sides are filling the round of 32 in numbers the old 32-team bracket rarely allowed.
Next is Australia, the Group D runner-up, in the round of 32 on July 3 — a winnable tie that puts a World Cup round-of-16 place within one result for the first time in Egyptian history.
Source: Yahoo Sports, ESPN
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