BEST·THIRD·PLACE TRACKER An independent tracker for the 2026 World Cup.
FINAL UPDATE:
2026 WORLD CUP · GROUP STAGE
Iran
Team MelliThe National Team
ELIMINATEDBEST 3RD · #9
IN OUR BEST THIRDS RANKING
#32OUR RANK
3PTS
0GD
3GF
Iran is out of the 2026 World Cup, eliminated after the group stage.

Iran drew all three of their Group G games and never lost: 2-2 with New Zealand, a battling 0-0 against ninth-ranked Belgium, and 1-1 with Egypt. Those three points left Team Melli level with Senegal, the last of the eight qualifying thirds.

It was agonisingly close: their goal difference of zero sat just two behind Senegal's, and three more goals across the group would have put them through, as the best-third standings lay out. To leave a World Cup unbeaten, having shut out a top-ten side, is a record that speaks for itself.

THE BEST-THIRDS CUT · WHERE IT ALL STARTED

2 goals from the Round of 32.

Eight best third-placed teams go through. Iran finished 9th of the twelve.

◄ TOP 8 · QUALIFIEDELIMINATED ►
8 THIRDS IN
9thIR
10th
11th
12th
8TH · INSenegal3 PTSGD +1
9th · OUTIran3 PTSGD 0
Level on points, split by goal difference. 2 goals the other way and it is Iran in the Round of 32.

PER MATCH · INCL. GROUP STAGE

1.00PTS / match
1.00GF / match
−2.00FAIR / match

Across 3 matches (group stage included), Iran has averaged 1.00 points and 1.00 goals scored per game, with 2.00 fair-play points lost per game.

PLAYED

New Zealand
Belgium
Egypt
WHERE IT ALL STARTED
This tracker exists for exactly this race. Third in their group, Iran finished as the 9th-best third-placed team of twelve, outside the top eight that advance.

How hard was Iran’s road at this World Cup?

Every team’s road through the tournament, on one chart. Each line shows how hard each stage is. The base is the gap in FIFA world ranking between the two sides; on top of that, current form (each team’s last three matches, and how convincingly they were won against how strong an opponent) nudges the step: a hot opponent makes it taller, a team’s own hot form makes its own steps shorter. Higher means a tougher road. In the group stage the opponents are known, so each match sits at a fixed height; each knockout round shows the average difficulty across every opponent still left in that round. Iran’s road is highlighted, along with every team it played. Hover or tap any team to compare, or pick one from the legend.

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