Egypt reach round of 32 after Iran draw and late VAR drama

Egypt through despite late VAR chaos

Your team are into the round of 32. Egypt 1–1 Iran, and it was wild (1) (5) (8) (9). Shoja Khalilzadeh thought he had won it for Iran in the 96th minute, but VAR ruled it out (1) (8). Egypt had already done enough. The draw sends the Pharaohs through regardless of what happens elsewhere in the group.

Salah injury not serious, says Hossam Hassan

Mohamed Salah was substituted during the match and every Egyptian fan held their breath. Coach Hossam Hassan moved quickly to calm the nerves: "If God wills, the injury does not seem serious" (5) (6). No further details yet, but the tone from the camp is reassuring.

Hamza Abdelkarim, Barcelona's Egyptian on the rise

Hamza Abdelkarim has now played in all three of Egypt's World Cup matches. The Barcelona youth player is getting minutes on the biggest stage, and he is still developing at one of the world's elite academies (3). A name to keep watching.

Iran unleash fury at the US and FIFA after the draw

The fallout from this match is loud. Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei went public with sharp criticism of the United States as co-hosts, calling the treatment of his team deeply unfair (2) (5) (7). "This must never happen again," he said, and he told Gianni Infantino to stand up against the hosts (5). Mehdi Taremi also attacked FIFA directly over visa issues (4). Iran now wait on other results to learn their fate (1) (9).

Australia await in Dallas

Your round of 32 opponent is Australia. The match will be played in Dallas. Date and kickoff time to be confirmed, but the path is set.

Fan reactions

The mood among Egypt fans online is a mix of relief and anticipation. The disallowed 96th-minute Iran goal dominated discussion, with many calling it the most anxious VAR check of the tournament. There is also warmth, a widely shared post captured a father guiding his blind son's hand across a tactile board so he could feel the match unfold. See the moment here.