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Mahrez scored 9.1 after the match, the highest of the game. Algeria had 12 shots, 5 on target, and held 65% possession at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Looking solely at the stats, this was a dominant performance.
Mahrez received a post-match rating of 9.1, the highest of the game. Algeria fired 12 shots and 5 on target at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, controlling 65% of possession. On paper alone, this was a dominant performance.
But the scoreline read 3-3. Algeria's goalkeeper, Benbot, barely had anything to do all night, idly counting blades of grass in front of his goal, the opponent's threat so minimal it made him uneasy.
In the 10th minute, Arnautovic's arm swung directly into Mandi's face. The referee was quick to brandish a card, and both sides had completed their first physical test. In the 28th minute, Alaba delivered a precise long ball from the back, and Arnautovic slotted home to make it 1-0.
Algeria remained calm. In the 44th minute, Belkheir broke down the right flank, beat two defenders, and poked the ball into the net to level the score at 1-1. After drawing blood, they returned to their patient passing game.
In the 55th minute of the second half, Sabitzer finished a chance to put Austria ahead, but five minutes later, Mahrez equalized to make it 2-2. The first-half stats had already hinted at this controlled dynamic: 57% possession to 43%, and 7 shots to 5. Algeria worked the ball to the point of mastery, while Austria sat deep and waited.
Injury time was where the real drama unfolded.
In the 90+3rd minute, Mahrez fired a sharp shot into the far corner from the right side of the box to make it 3-2. It was his second goal of the tournament, and his personal stat line read 3 shots, 2 goals, and 2 key passes.
But the Algerians couldn't muster a smile. The group standings were already clear: a narrow 3-2 victory, with a one-goal margin, was nowhere enough to cover the goal difference deficit needed for advancement. They needed an exact score to balance the books.
Three minutes later, Kalajdzic rose in the box and headed the ball into the net. 3-3.
The final whistle blew. There was no ecstasy over the dramatic equalizer, nor any sliding celebrations. Players from both sides shook hands and walked off, as matter-of-fact as coworkers clocking out for the day.
Algeria and Austria advanced together.
Thousands of miles away, in Tijuana.
The entire 70-man Iranian squad had been stationed in this Mexican border city since June 7th. They lived next door to the United States but couldn't step across the border. Iranian Football Federation President Mehdi Taj was denied a visa by the US, citing his former role as "commander of intelligence for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps." Joining him on the sidelines were 14 administrative and support staff. Iran's ambassador to Mexico, Abolfazl Pasandid, revealed to the press: "A total of 15 administrative and support team members have been affected by the visa denials."
The Iranian Federation's statement was even sharper, directly denouncing the US visa announcement as a "whitewash."
The remaining players and coaches did receive visas, under conditions as restrictive as a day laborer's: enter the country only on game days, leave immediately after playing, and not stay overnight in the US. A World Cup team crossed the border at dawn and retreated late at night. Heavily armed Mexican military police escorted them from their Tijuana hotel; the scene looked more like a prisoner transfer than a welcome.
Across three group matches, Iran didn't lose a single game. Three draws, 3 points, 0 goal difference.
The World Cup's arithmetic only cares about goal difference; staying unbeaten was merely a consolation prize. Senegal thrashed Iraq 5-0 in their final match, sending their goal difference soaring to +2. The gap between Iran's 0 and Senegal's +2 was the distance between going home and staying.
In the 90+6th minute, Iranians saw Kalajdzic's header sail past Benbot on TV screens in Tijuana.
Three games without a loss. Goal difference: 0. Ranked ninth among all third-placed teams. The top eight advanced.
The visa conditions meant they couldn't even stay an extra night in the US. The night their match ended, the entire team packed up and retreated back into Mexico.