Egypt and Iran conclude their group stage fixtures with a blockbuster clash at Seattle Stadium.
Group G
Saturday, 27 June | Seattle Stadium
Kick-off time
11:00 (GMT+8)
The match
A highly-anticipated clash between respective African and Asian powers. Despite their geographic proximity, the two nations have only met twice previously, with their last encounter taking place in 2000. This should be a blockbuster affair, with both teams aiming to make it past the opening round for the first time.
Egypt have enjoyed an excellent campaign thus far, opening with a 1-1 draw against Belgium, followed by a 3-1 triumph over New Zealand, the nation’s first World Cup victory. Iran started things off with a thrilling 2-2 draw against New Zealand before holding Belgium to a 0-0 draw. For Egypt, a victory would assure a spot in the Round of 32, while Iran will know they are through if they emerge victorious and Belgium fail to beat New Zealand.
Should one of these sides top the group, they would meet a third-place team from Group A, E, H, I or J at Seattle Stadium on 1 July. The group runner-up would meet the Group D runner-up at Dallas Stadium on 3 July, while the third-place finisher could potentially face the winner of Group B or I.
Egypt possible starting XI
Shobeir; Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Rabia, Ahmed Fatouh; Marawan Attia, Mohanad Lasheen; Salah, Emam Ashour, Ziko; Marmoush
Iran possible starting XI
Beiranvand; Rezaeian, Nemati, Khalilzadeh, Mohammadi; Mohebi, Ezatolahi, Ghoddos, Yousefi; Torabi, Taremi
What they said…
“We knew from the beginning that this is a difficult group. Every team is capable of beating the others, but we are taking it one step at a time. We were fully focused in our first two matches, and now our attention is entirely on Iran, one of the strongest teams in Asia. We respect every opponent. We have prepared well for tomorrow’s match and hope success will be on our side.” Hossam Hassan, Egypt coach
“We know that Egypt are a very well-organised side, and of course we also know that Mo Salah is a very important player. They’ve scored five goals in this World Cup. We’ll try to stop their scoring streak. We’re focused on what we represent: an entire nation of football fans. Every match is different. We know what we have to do; we’ve analysed our opponents. Football is like a game of chess.” Amir Ghalenoei, Iran coach
“Tomorrow’s match will be an important one for us, and they’ve got a strong team. Every team has its own Mo Salah. We hope to put in a good performance. We’ll be focused more on ourselves. I hope that, for the first time, we’ll manage to qualify for the next round.” Alireza Beiranvand, Iran goalkeeper
Seattle Stadium
Seattle Stadium boasts a unique horseshoe shape with an open north end to give a stunning view of the Seattle skyline. Featuring twice in the Guinness World Records as the loudest outdoor stadium, with the feats achieved in September and December 2013, the ground has become known as a fortress for the likes of Major League Soccer side Seattle Sounders and the National Football League’s Seattle Seahawks. Six FIFA Club World Cup™ matches were held at the venue during the 2025 tournament, including Inter Milan’s 2-0 victory over River Plate and Paris-Saint-Germain’s 2-0 triumph over the Sounders in the group stage.