The world is ready for a massive football fight. The stars have aligned for a huge game in Seattle. Egypt will face off against IR Iran in a match that everyone is talking about. This game is not just about three points. It is about pride, history, and a chance to make the knockout rounds. Fans from Cairo to Tehran are counting down the minutes. This is the Egypt vs IR Iran World Cup 2026 | Live, Match Time, Prediction guide you need.
A game of icons. A battle for Group G supremacy.
The Big Stage: Egypt vs ir iran world cup 2026 schedule
First of all, you must mark your calendars for the Egypt vs ir iran world cup 2026 date. The match happens on Friday, June 26, 2026. This is the final round of matches for Group G. Everything will be on the line at this time.
The Egypt vs ir iran world cup 2026 schedule is set for a late-night thriller in the United States. The kick-off time is 20:00 local time in Seattle. For the fans back home, it will be an early start on Saturday morning. In Cairo, the game starts at 06:00 AM. In Tehran, the whistle blows at 06:30 AM.
Seattle Stadium, also known as Lumen Field, is the place to be. This stadium is famous for its noise. It has held the Guinness World Record for the loudest outdoor stadium twice in 2013. The horseshoe shape and the open north end offer a great view of the Seattle skyline.
How to Get There: Egypt vs ir iran world cup 2026 tickets
You might want to see this clash in person. However, the prices for Egypt vs ir iran world cup 2026 tickets are rising fast. The demand for this “All-Arab” style blockbuster is through the roof.
The ticket prices depend on where you want to sit. Category 1 seats are the most expensive. You can find these for anywhere between $576 and $1,189 including fees. If you want a middle-ground option, Category 2 tickets range from $480 to $665.
On top of that, budget-friendly fans can look at Category 3. These tickets start as low as $378 but can go up to $615. There are also Category 4 seats listed around $471. You should act quickly because these seats will not last.
The History: Iran, Egypt Head-to-Head
Though these two nations are football giants in their regions, they rarely meet. They have only played each other twice in history. Their most recent encounter happened way back in June 2000. That game ended in a 1-1 draw, but Egypt won the penalty shootout 9-8.
On the contrary to Iran’s experience, Egypt has a strange record. Egypt has never won a World Cup match in their history. They have a great squad, but the win remains elusive. IR Iran is more experienced on this stage. This is their fourth consecutive tournament and their seventh appearance overall.
Egypt’s Power: Salah and the Pharaohs
The Egyptian team enters this tournament with high hopes. Head coach Hossam Hassan has the team playing well. He is actually Egypt’s all-time top scorer, though a certain superstar is catching up.
Mohamed Salah is the heart of this team. He is ranked as the best African footballer ever by some. He has scored 63 goals for his country. He also recently hit 250 goals for his club, Liverpool.
Additionally, Egypt was dominant in the qualifiers. They conceded only two goals in ten games. Salah was the leader, scoring nine times during the 2026 qualification run.
The expected Egypt vs ir iran world cup 2026 lineups for the Pharaohs include many stars from the local league. Players from Al Ahly, the most successful African club, feature heavily.
Potential Egypt Squad Members:
- Goalkeepers: Mohamed Awad, Ali Lotfi, Mohamed Bassam.
- Defenders: El-Wensh, Karim Fouad, Yassin Marei.
- Midfielders: Mohamed Elneny, Afsha, Akram Tawfik.
- Forwards: Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, Mohamed Sherif.
Iran’s Pride: Team Melli’s Quest
IR Iran is known as Team Melli. They are Asian football royalty. They have won three continental titles, but they have never reached the knockout stage of a World Cup. This year, they want to change that.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei, known as ‘the general’, leads the team. He has a very strong generation of talent. They lost only one match out of sixteen during their qualification campaign. They secured their spot in the finals after a 2-2 draw against Uzbekistan in March 2025.
The star man for Iran is Mehdi Taremi. He is a clinical striker who currently plays for Olympiacos and has experience with Inter Milan. He is the only Iranian to score more than once in World Cup history. He scored two goals against England in 2022.
Potential Iran Squad Members:
- Goalkeepers: Alireza Beiranvand, Payam Niazmand.
- Defenders: Milad Mohammadi, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Morteza Pouraliganji.
- Midfielders: Mehdi Torabi, Mohammad Karimi.
- Forwards: Mehdi Taremi, Sardar Azmoun, Ali Alipour.
The Controversy: The Iran Pride match
There is some tension off the pitch. Local organisers in Seattle announced this game as a “Pride Match” to support the LGBTQ community. This event coincides with the city’s Pride Weekend.
However, both Iran and Egypt have objected to this. Iran’s football chief, Mehdi Taj, called it an “irrational move”. He stated that Tehran and Cairo have raised complaints with FIFA. Homosexuality is a sensitive and often illegal topic in both nations.
Visa and Travel Issues
Political issues are also a factor. There have been concerns about travel bans and visa problems for Iranian players and officials. Some players might struggle because of their past service in the Iranian military or the IRGC.
The FIFA World Cup venue schedule shows that Iran will play all their group games in the United States. They face New Zealand and Belgium in Los Angeles before traveling to Seattle for the Egypt game.
Player Comparison: Salah vs Taremi
The match might come down to which star striker finds the net first.
| Feature | Mohamed Salah (Egypt) | Mehdi Taremi (Iran) |
| Club | Liverpool | Olympiacos |
| Age | 33 | 33 |
| National Goals | 63 | 51 (approx based on stats) |
| WC Qual. Goals | 9 (for 2026) | 10 (for 2026) |
Similarly to Salah, Taremi is the leader of his team’s attack. Both players are 33 years old and at the peak of their experience. Salah has more global fame, but Taremi has proven he can score against the biggest teams in the world.
Group G Standings and Path
The battle in Group G is tough. Belgium is the heavy favorite to win the group. This makes the match between Egypt and Iran a fight for the second spot.
Group G Teams:
- Belgium
- Egypt
- IR Iran
- New Zealand
If Egypt or Iran can finish as the runner-up, they will meet the runner-up of Group D in Dallas on July 3. If they manage to win the group, they stay in Seattle to play a third-place team on July 1.
The Tactics: What to Expect?
Egypt usually relies on a solid defense and quick counter-attacks. They have stars who play in the Premier League, like Salah and Omar Marmoush. They will try to use their speed to catch the Iranian defenders off guard.
On the contrary, Iran is very experienced. They have a team that has played together for a long time. Ehsan Hajisafi is a record-breaker for them, having appeared in three different World Cups. They are tough to break down and have great fighting spirit. They showed this in 2022 when they scored two goals in stoppage time to beat Wales 2-0.
Prediction: Who Wins?
This is a very hard game to call. Egypt has the star power of Salah. They have been almost perfect in their recent qualifiers. However, they have that historical weight of never winning a World Cup game.
Iran is the higher-ranked team (#20 vs #31). They have played in many more big tournaments recently. They nearly beat Portugal in 2018 and defeated the USA in 1998.
Final Prediction: A very tight 1-1 draw. Both teams are likely to score, but they might cancel each other out in the midfield. This result could be enough for one of them to advance if they beat New Zealand earlier in the group.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Where can I watch the live stream of the match?
A: You can follow the action on the FIFA Match Centre for live blogs and stats. Local broadcaster details will be updated on the FIFA website closer to the tournament.
Q: Is there any hospitality available for this game?
A: Yes. You can visit the official FIFA tickets and hospitality page to find special packages for the Seattle match.
Q: What happens if there is a tie in the group standings?
A: FIFA uses goal difference and goals scored as the primary tiebreakers. If everything is still equal, head-to-head results and fair play points come into play.
Q: How many fans does Seattle Stadium hold?
A: The stadium is a major venue for the NFL and MLS. It is known as a fortress and can hold over 68,000 screaming fans, though FIFA might adjust this for the World Cup.
Q: Have Egypt and Iran ever met in a World Cup before?
A: No. This is their first-ever meeting on the World Cup stage.
Q: Who is the youngest player to watch in these squads?
A: For Iran, Yaqoub Barajeh and Parsa Jafari recently received their first senior call-ups, bringing fresh energy to the squad.
Concluding Words
The Egypt vs IR Iran World Cup 2026 | Live, Match Time, Prediction is the talk of the town. This Group G finale in Seattle on June 26 will be a historic night. With Mohamed Salah leading the Pharaohs and Mehdi Taremi spearheading Team Melli, the talent on the pitch is immense. Though politics and controversies like the “Pride Match” branding surround the game, the football will take center stage. Tickets are selling fast, and the atmosphere in the loudest stadium in the US will be electric. Do not miss this clash of civilizations.
