For a brief moment, it seemed like Iran had clinched a stunning last-minute goal against Egypt, which would have marked their first-ever entry into the FIFA World Cup finals. Iran’s center-back, Shoja Khalilzadeh, capitalized on a rebound from a free kick, colliding with Egypt’s goalkeeper, Mostafa Chaubier, who had initially moved away from his goal to make a save.
However, following an extensive VAR review, the goal was disallowed due to offside, leaving Iranian players and fans in disbelief while giving a moment of relief to the Egyptian supporters in Seattle Stadium.
At first glance, this call appeared questionable—Khalilzadeh seemed to be behind Egyptian defender Yasir Ibrahim at the top of the screen.
Yet, when VAR reviewed the situation, the lines were drawn between Khalilzadeh and Hamza Abdelkarim, number 9 for Egypt.
This might seem like a significant mistake, but it actually aligns with the offside rules correctly.
Understanding Offside Calls
Per the regulations set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), Khalilzadeh was offside even if he hadn’t crossed the last defender. It’s a peculiar situation where, in certain instances, a goalkeeper can also be deemed offside.
“A player is in an offside position if:
- Part of the head, body, or feet is inside the opponent’s territory (excluding the halfway line)
- If any part of the head, body, or feet is closer to the opponent’s goal line than the ball and both second to last opponent
With the Egyptian goalkeeper out of the net, Ibrahim became the final opponent, while Abdelkarim was the second to last. Thus, Khalilzadeh was marginally ahead of Abdelkarim, leading to the goal being revoked.
Consequences for Iran and Egypt
Right after the game resumed, Iran struck the crossbar, and ultimately the match ended in a 1-1 draw, which dramatically altered the standings in Group G.
Instead of finishing in second place behind Belgium and securing a spot in the round of 32, Iran now has to wait for the outcomes of Saturday’s matches to see if they still have a chance to advance.
Egypt began the day at the top of Group G but briefly found themselves in third place. They finished second after it was initially thought Iran might win. The Egyptian team is set to face Australia in Arlington on July 3.
Iran’s Chances for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
The silver lining for Iran is that they currently sit sixth among the twelve third-place finishers, giving them a good chance for advancement. Unfortunately, their situation is precarious, as three other teams could potentially pass them. Iran can qualify if any of the following scenarios unfold:
- Croatia loses to Ghana
- Algeria vs. Austria ends in a result that isn’t a draw
- DR Congo draws or loses to Uzbekistan
Should Croatia draw or win against Ghana, alongside Algeria beating Austria, and if the Democratic Republic of Congo wins against Uzbekistan, then Iran will be knocked out of the World Cup. In that case, the disallowed goal will sting as one of the most gut-wrenching moments of their campaign.
