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Iran missed retired connected a spot successful the past 32 of the World Cup connected extremity difference
BySam Drury
BBC Sport journalist
Heartbreak is to beryllium expected astatine a World Cup.
For each infinitesimal of glory, determination is simply a hard-luck story, a federation near to bemoan their misfortune and the injustices that person led to their downfall.
Yet fewer comparison to the cruel mode that has brought Iran's tourney to an extremity successful 2026.
Facing unprecedented challenges adjacent earlier a shot was kicked, Amir Ghalenoei's broadside had worked themselves into a presumption wherever a spot successful the past 32 was successful their grasp - lone for it to beryllium snatched distant from them astatine the last... not erstwhile but twice.
Despite being unbeaten successful the radical stage, Iran came up agonisingly abbreviated and missed retired connected a spot successful the knockout signifier connected extremity difference.
But determination was overmuch much to it than that...
Iran's last-gasp victor ruled out
Egypt done aft precocious play denies Iran guaranteed knockout qualification
After draws against New Zealand and Belgium, Iran knew triumph implicit Egypt successful Seattle would enactment them done to the circular of 32.
They fell down aboriginal but responded good and though Mehdi Taremi had a punishment saved, Ramin Rezaeian's astute decorativeness from a choky space drew Iran level.
That was however it stayed until second-half wounded time, erstwhile Shoja Khalilzadeh turned the shot location aft after a goalmouth scramble.
Exuberant celebrations followed, with Khalilzadeh removing his garment - for which helium was aboriginal booked - and posing for a photograph with a brace of sunglasses.
However, joyousness soon turned to anguish arsenic the extremity was ruled retired for offside. It was the tightest of calls, with Khalilzadeh's toed marginally up of the penultimate defender.
It finished 1-1, meaning Iran would person to hold to observe if they would advancement to the World Cup knockout signifier for the archetypal time.
Iran denied guaranteed radical signifier qualification arsenic injury-time extremity chalked off
A 96th-minute equaliser denies Iran
Algeria and Austria some suffice for past 32 aft melodramatic added clip goals
Iran were made to hold until the last matches of the radical signifier to larn their fate.
Algeria versus Austria was the important crippled - and a triumph for either broadside would suit Iran.
An entertaining crippled looked acceptable to extremity 2-2, frankincense eliminating Iran, lone for Riyad Mahrez to burst wide and enactment Algeria up successful the 93rd minute.
With conscionable moments to go, 'Team Melli' arsenic the nationalist broadside are known, were again connected the brink of qualification.
But the play was not done there. Austria piled guardant successful hunt of an equaliser and recovered it done Sasa Kalajdzic's header with conscionable seconds remaining.
For the 2nd clip successful 24 hours, Iran's delight was snatched from them astatine the precise past moment.
Senegal's superior extremity quality meant they took the last spot of the third-placed teams, portion Cape Verde, who similar Iran drew each 3 radical games, went done successful 2nd spot successful Group H.
'The big state treated america precise unfairly'
That Iran came arsenic adjacent arsenic they did to progressing singular successful itself fixed the unsocial hurdles they person had to overcome.
Iran person been competing astatine the World Cup against the backdrop of the country's struggle with the United States and Israel.
Their World Cup grooming basal was switched from Arizona to Tijuana successful Mexico earlier the tourney began, and they faced question restrictions throughout.
Iran were lone permitted to participate the United States the time earlier their archetypal 2 matches and had to permission again connected the aforesaid time arsenic the game, nether the presumption of their visas.
Subsequently, Ghalenoei described his broadside arsenic the "most oppressed" squad astatine the tournament.
He said the squad had been "robbed" of mentation clip and fixed "less than half" the grooming model it needed, portion different teams had enjoyed mean conditions.
Those travel restrictions were eased for the crippled successful Seattle, allowing them to get 2 days early, but they had to instrumentality to Tijuana aft the match.
After the match, Ghalenoei again expressed his frustration: "To my players and the team, I privation to accidental to them I'm arrogant of them.
"What these young people, these players person done, it should beryllium written successful past due to the fact that the big state treated america precise unfairly.
"Despite each of these problems, we've been capable to execute good and the satellite is arrogant of Iranians and our team.
"I impulse Fifa: don't fto hosts dainty players and teams the aforesaid mode successful aboriginal World Cups."
English (US)·