In an international friendly played on the evening of April 2 at Worthersee Stadium in Austria, Iran lost victory in the dying seconds, effectively ending their dream of participating in the 2026 World Cup.
Iran started on the front foot and took the lead in the 34th minute through striker Mehdi Taremi, who converted a pass from Saman Ghoddos. Throughout the second half, the West Asian side controlled the game and created several chances to double their advantage, but attempts from Sardar Azmoun and Alireza Jahanbakhsh failed to beat the Algeria goalkeeper.
Just as the match seemed to end in a narrow win for Iran, Algeria struck back in the third minute of stoppage time. From a corner kick, defender Aissa Mandi rose highest to head the ball past goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, leveling the score at 1-1.
The result cost Iran two precious points in the race for a 2026 World Cup berth. In Group C of the Asian qualifiers, Iran now sits third with 10 points, three behind group leaders Uzbekistan and one behind second-placed UAE. With only two qualifying matches remaining, their hopes of securing an automatic spot or a playoff place are all but gone.
Head coach Amir Ghalenoei acknowledged: “We played a good match, but football can be cruel sometimes. The goal in the final seconds rendered all our efforts useless. We must accept reality and look to the future.”
This marks the first time Iran will miss the World Cup since 2006, ending a streak of four consecutive appearances (2014, 2018, 2022, 2026).
