Iran Eliminated, US Advances at World Cup

Iran's hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time ended in heartbreak on Saturday, when Austria's last-minute equalizer against Algeria eliminated Iran from contention among the tournament's top eight third-place teams.

Iran finished its Group G campaign on Friday with a 1-1 draw against Egypt, then had to wait to see whether three points would be enough to advance to the round of 16. The team leaves the tournament undefeated, having also drawn with Belgium and New Zealand, in a campaign overshadowed by off-field controversy.

Uncertainty over visas, amid Iran's conflict with the US, meant the team had to travel from its tournament base in co-host Mexico to the United States for its three group-stage matches.

US President Donald Trump said in March that Iran was welcome at the World Cup but did not consider it appropriate for the team to remain in the United States "for their own life and safety".

After the draw with Egypt, captain Mehdi Taremi described the situation as a logistical "disaster" and questioned whether his team was truly welcome at the tournament.

The host United States advanced to the knockout stage as the top team in Group D, finishing with six points thanks to wins over Paraguay and Australia. In its final match, the team lost only to Turkey.

(Reuters, sak)