7M - Algeria 3 - 3 Austria: Algeria snatch dramatic draw to eliminate Iran

Saturday night’s Group J finale delivered a wild, seesaw thriller as Austria and Algeria played out a 3-3 draw—a result that sent both teams into the round of 32 while cruelly eliminating Iran from the tournament.

The drama unfolded in the dying seconds. Algeria, leading 2-2 and content to see out the clock, thought they had done enough when captain Riyad Mahrez bagged his second goal deep into stoppage time. That strike put Austria on the brink of exit—until Sasa Kalajdzic rose to head home a breathtaking equaliser moments later, rescuing Das Team’s World Cup dreams in the most dramatic fashion.

Marko Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer also found the net for Austria, who finished second in Group J behind Argentina and advanced to the knockout stage for the first time since 1982. Their reward? A blockbuster last-32 clash with European champions Spain on Thursday in the Los Angeles area.

For Algeria, Rafik Belghali added his name to the scoresheet as they became the ninth African side out of ten to progress. Finishing third in the group, they now face a potentially favourable knockout opener against Switzerland on Thursday night in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Iran, meanwhile, were left heartbroken. Had either Austria or Algeria won, the Iranians would have snuck through as one of the eight best third-place teams. Instead, their tumultuous campaign—marked by off-field struggles as much as on-pitch battles—ended in cruel fashion.

The Iranian squad has been navigating a complex backdrop, with Tehran engaged in negotiations with Washington over a deal to end the war that began earlier this year. Throughout the tournament, coach Amir Ghalenoei and his players voiced frustrations over travel restrictions, visa denials for support staff, and tight post-match departure schedules from the U.S.

U.S. officials maintained that all regulations were made clear prior to the tournament. Back in March, Iran had unsuccessfully sought to move their group matches to Mexico—a country with which it has diplomatic ties—though their request to shift the base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana was eventually granted just two weeks before the team arrived.

Now, with Austria and Algeria celebrating, Iran are left to ponder what might have been—and another painful exit from the world’s biggest stage.

Stay tuned for more match reports, insider analysis, and all the colour from across the tournament.