Iran eliminated from World Cup after late Algeria-Austria 3-3 draw fans match-fixing claims

The final group-stage match between Algeria and Austria ended in a chaotic 3-3 draw that sent both teams into the knockout rounds and knocked Iran out of the tournament. The result arrived after a sequence of late goals that briefly gave Iran hope before snatching it away, reinforcing accusations of a pre-arranged 'biscotto'.

How the match unfolded

Austria took the lead in the 27th minute through Marko Arnautovic, but Algeria equalised just before half-time via Belghali. In the second half, Sabitzer restored Austria's advantage in the 55th minute, only for Riyad Mahrez to level the score again five minutes later. From the 60th minute, the tempo dropped sharply and the crowd in Kansas City began to jeer. With the score at 2-2, both teams were set to advance as long as the result held.

The contest reignited deep in stoppage time. Mahrez scored his second goal in the 93rd minute, making it 3-2 for Algeria. That scoreline would have eliminated Austria and sent Iran through as one of the best third-placed sides. Three minutes later, substitute Saša Kalajdžić headed in an equaliser with the help of a passive Algerian defence. The 3-3 draw put Austria through in second place on goal difference and let Algeria advance as a third-placed team, while Iran were out.

Iran's warning and the fair-play letter

After their 1-1 draw with Egypt, Iranian players left a handwritten note in the Seattle locker room warning against a fixed result. "Fair play is not just a rule of football, it is the soul of the game," the letter read. It urged the remaining teams to show respect and listed the nations still in contention for the last qualifying spots. The message acknowledged Iran's precarious position: three draws for three points meant their progression depended entirely on results elsewhere.

“We come from Iran, from a land that for thousands of years has put honour above victory. For us, football is not just a competition of results, it is a test of character. Perhaps points can be earned in many ways, but respect cannot.”

The letter also referenced "#168" and "#Minab", a nod to the 168 people, most of them children, killed in a U.S. airstrike on a school in Minab shortly after the war between the United States and Iran began in February.

A tournament of obstacles

Iran's entire World Cup campaign was shaped by hostilities with the host nation. Because of the war, the team shifted its training camp from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, and travelled to match venues in Los Angeles and Seattle only on the eve of each game, departing immediately afterwards. Visa restrictions and stringent security checks compounded the logistical strain.

“The host country treated Iran very unfairly. Despite all these problems, we managed to do well and the world is proud of the Iranians and our team.”

On the pitch, a marginal VAR offside call disallowed a stoppage-time winner by Shoja Khalilzadeh against Egypt, and Mehdi Taremi missed a penalty in the same match. Cape Verde also finished with three draws but advanced as group runners-up, underlining how fine the margins were.

Reactions: joy for Austria, disbelief for Algeria

Videos from Algeria showed fans erupting in celebration when Kalajdžić scored, because the late equaliser kept them in third place and paired them with Switzerland in the round of 16 instead of Spain. Austrian players and staff had angrily confronted their Algerian counterparts after Mahrez's 3-2 goal, accusing them of breaking an unspoken pact to keep the draw intact. The two goals in added time were the only shots on target after the 60th minute.

Italian pundit Marco Tardelli, analysing the game on Rai, pointed to the disallowed Iranian goal as the real injustice. "I think the real lack of respect was here, in this offside which, in my opinion, you cannot call against a team like Iran that had already been beaten up throughout the World Cup," he said. Iran exited the tournament unbeaten, yet out.