World Cup Hopes End for Iran and South Korea

Iran and South Korea were eliminated from the FIFA World Cup after a dramatic conclusion to the race for the final third-place qualification spots, joining Scotland and Uruguay in missing out on the Round of 32.

Iran looked set to progress when Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez scored a stoppage-time goal to give his side a 3-2 lead over Austria in a thrilling Group F encounter. However, Austria rescued a crucial point moments later as Sasa Kalajdzic found the net deep into added time, securing a 3-3 draw that kept the Europeans alive and ended Iran’s hopes.

South Korea also failed to advance despite winning one of their group-stage matches, with the final standings leaving them just short of a place among the best third-placed teams. The dramatic finish brought the 72-game group stage to a close, with the last knockout places decided in the closing seconds.