TEHRAN – Iran’s hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup have come to an end after Algeria and Austria played out a 3-3 draw on Sunday.
Iran had entered the final day of the group stage needing either Algeria or Austria to win in order to advance. Instead, the six-goal thriller ended level, allowing Austria to progress while eliminating Iran.
Austria twice took the lead before Algeria fought back to make it 3-2 in stoppage time, briefly putting Iran on course for qualification. However, Austria struck an equalizer moments before the final whistle, ending Iran’s World Cup campaign.
Earlier on Sunday, Ghana lost 2-1 to Croatia in its final Group L match, while DR Congo defeated Uzbekistan 3-1 in the group’s other fixture.
Iran finished the group stage with three points after producing spirited performances, particularly against Belgium and Egypt. However, Team Melli’s opening draw with New Zealand ultimately proved costly as it missed out on qualification as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
Iran’s campaign was also overshadowed by logistical challenges due to US restrictions that forced Team Melli to base itself in Mexico throughout the tournament, requiring repeated cross-border travel for matches in the United States. As such, the arrangement disrupted preparations and recovery between games.
Despite the disappointment, Iran earned praise for its competitive displays in the tournament, but the final whistle in the Algeria-Austria match ended its hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stage.