Key events
Seattle has generated some of the best atmospheres of the World Cup so far and Lumen Field looks a picture once again as the two sides stand for their national anthems. There’s no shortage of Egyptian red and Iranian white shirts in the stands.
The two sides are in the tunnel ready to take the field. Egypt are wearing red shirts, black shorts and socks. Iran are top to toe in white.
Need any last minute information on either team? Find it here.
Today’s officials are from Poland, led by referee Szymon Marciniak, who took charge of the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France, and the 2023 Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan.
He is a celebrity in Poland, appearing as a contestant on the Polish version of Hell’s Kitchen, and featuring in the documentary series Sędziowie, a behind the scenes look at the life of a referee.
Conditions in the Pacific Northwest are cool, overcast, and blustery. Great for football, and exactly the kind of midsummer conditions that led to the birth of the defining alternative music scene of the early 90s.
This evening’s fixture is in Seattle, a hotbed of football in North America.
The Major League Soccer team, the Sounders, have won the MLS Cup twice in the past decade, and their matches often top the charts for the most well-attended in the competition.
The NWSL side, the Reign, have won three Shields, and in 2023 set a new attendance record for a standalone fixture in the competition when they farwelled the retiring Megan Rapinoe.
During the World Cup, Seattle’s major sporting arena will seat around 69,000 spectators and will be called Seattle Stadium, but for the rest of the year it is known as Lumen Field.
Construction was completed in 2002, a process overseen by the city’s NFL franchise, the Seahawks.
Seahawks fans have twice claimed the Guinness World Record for the loudest crowd roar at an outdoor stadium, first at 136.6 decibels in 2013, followed by 137.6 decibels in 2014.
A contributing factor is how compact the venue is relative to its capacity. The upper levels are cantilevered over the lower sections and the lower sections are closer to the field than typical North American arenas. A roof covers the majority of spectators but leaves the playing surface open to the elements.
The stadium is a distinctive U-shape with an open north end that provides spectacular views of downtown Seattle while the partially open south end exposes Mount Rainier.
Who are through to the last 32?
Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Morocco, USA, Australia, Paraguay, Germany, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Egypt, Spain, Cape Verde, France, Norway, Argentina, Colombia, Portugal, England and Ghana.
Who have been eliminated?
Czechia, Qatar, Haiti, Turkey, Curaçao, Tunisia, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan and Panama.
Iran’s preparations for this tournament have been hampered at every turn, but they received some minor respite ahead of today’s crucial fixture.
“I don’t think that Ronaldo’s form against Uzbekistan was all that remarkable,” replies Michael Byers to my early callout for opinions. “In fact the opportunities he missed before he scored, and to complete his hat trick, demonstrated just how much he has lost. Both were crosses that he could not move his feet fast enough to finish.”
I agree with all of that, and he would not be in my Portugal XI – but he is going to be whether we like it or not. I’ve long been persuaded by the Alex Ferguson way of thinking that strikers missing opportunities is nothing to worry about, the concern comes when they’re not getting into the positions to score.
Today’s fixture has been overshadowed somewhat by the discomfort of both participating nations in what local organisers had long planned as a Pride Match in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community in Seattle.
Egypt’s football association appealed to Fifa, saying it “categorically rejects any activities promoting LGBTQ during the match,” warning the events could “provoke cultural and religious sensitivities among fans”. Iran’s football federation was quoted suggesting the Pride designation was an “irrational move that supports a certain group”.
In Iran, LGBTQ+ relationships are illegal, and Egypt has a history of prosecuting queer and trans people.
Iran XI
Two changes for Team Melli from the side that held Belgium to a goalless draw.
In: Mohammadi, Ghorbani
Out: Hardani, Hajisafi
Iran (5-4-1): 1 Beiranvand; 5 Mohammadi, 13 Kanani, 4 Khalilzadeh, 19 Nemati 23 Rezaeian; 14 Ghoddos, 21 Ghorbani, 6 Ezatolahi, 8 Mohebi; 9 Taremi (c).
Egypt XI
Four changes for the Pharaohs, including a new central defensive pairing and the dropping of Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush to the bench.
In: 6 Abdelmonem, 5 Rabia, 21 Saber, 7 Trezeguet
Out: 14 Fathy, 2 Ibrahim, 19 Attia, 22 Marmoush
Egypt (4-2-3-1): 23 Shobeir (gk); 3 Hany, 6 Abdelmonem, 5 Rabia, 13 Fatouh; 17 Lasheen, 21 Saber; 8 Ashour, 11 Ziko, 10 Salah (c); 7 Trezeguet.
So that means Cape Verde are through to face Argentina in the round of 32, in what is shaping as a kind bracket for the defending champions.
Tiny Cape Verde are into the round of 32!
Uruguay are out of the World Cup!
Meanwhile, Norway B were no match for a France team boasting a quite preposterous array of attacking talent.
Earlier today Senegal demolished Iraq to give themselves a strong chance of progressing as one of the best third-placed teams.
This is the best example so far of how the “group of death” concept has been significantly undermined by the expanded format.
There’s still plenty of time to catch up with Max and the gang.
Feel free to keep me company by emailing your thoughts about today’s match, and anything related to the World Cup to jonathan.howcroft.freelance@theguardian.com.
Some possible topics:
Adidas kits are way better than those of all other manufactures.
Before the group stage I only fancied one of France, Spain, or Argentina to win the World Cup. I would now be comfortable adding Portugal to that list if Ronaldo wasn’t a guaranteed starter / or maintains the form he showed against Uzbekistan.
This World Cup feels like a reckoning for South American football. Bolivia lost to Iraq in the pre-tournament playoff, Uruguay and Paraguay have been bad, Ecuador got lucky, Colombia are dull, and Brazil are reliant on an Italian conjurer. Argentina are the outlier and it is no surprise to see how much they dominated CONMEBOL qualification.
If my explanation of the permutations facing the Group G protagonists was insufficient, here’s a more fulsome description with tables.
This is going to be a multiscreen/multitab experience. I recommend opening up another window and inviting Sam Lewis to keep you informed on all things New Zealand v Belgium.
Preamble
Jonathan Howcroft
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of Egypt v Iran as Group G reaches its conclusion in Seattle. Kick-off at Lumen Field is 8pm local time (11pm EDT / 4am BST / 1pm AEST).
Welcome to what promises to be the most gloriously chaotic group stage denouement of this World Cup. Practically every combination of outcomes is possible as Egypt, Iran, Belgium and New Zealand battle to make it to the round of 32.
Egypt, on top of the group with four points, are the only team guaranteed to qualify, it just depends whether that’s in first, second, or third place.
Iran, second on two points, will qualify with a win, but may still sneak through with a draw if there is no winner in the Belgium v New Zealand clash.
New Zealand must win to progress. Belgium need a win to guarantee safe passage but may get away with a draw if other results fall their way.
With both matches kicking off simultaneously expect plenty of fluctuations in tempo and atmosphere as the four teams compute in real-time what they must do to stay alive.
Got it? Good. That’s NumberWang!
I’ll be back with a news roundup and team news shortly but in the meantime you can follow the closing stages of Group H where Cape Verde are destined for the round of 32 and Uruguay are on their way home.
