Iran's hopes of securing automatic qualification into the round of 32 at the FIFA World Cup 2026 were dashed in the cruelest fashion, as a last-gasp goal from Shoja Khalilzadeh was ruled out by VAR deep into injury time.

The disallowed strike left Iran unable to guarantee their place in the knockout stage, meaning the side must now wait on results elsewhere to discover whether they advance as one of the best third-placed teams in the tournament.

Khalilzadeh appeared to have given Iran the decisive goal they needed, only for the Video Assistant Referee to intervene and overturn the strike, leaving players and supporters in disbelief.

The decision means Iran's fate is no longer in their own hands. They will be watching closely as other group matches conclude, hoping the final standings across all groups are enough to see them through to the last 32.