Austria rescues 3:3 against Algeria and seals Iran's World Cup exit

Impact on Iran

The consequences of this draw reached far beyond the match itself. Iran, which had its World Cup base in Tijuana and was following events from afar, switched between hope and disappointment with every change of lead. In the end it was not enough for the team from West Asia: it was eliminated because Austria took the point.

In another group match, Canada lost to Switzerland 1:2 and finished its group in second place. Jesse Marsch's team has therefore advanced to the round of 16 and will face South Africa on Saturday at 9:00 p.m. in Los Angeles. For Canada, it is the first time ever that the team has advanced past the group stage of a World Cup.

Kane surpasses Lineker

Harry Kane, meanwhile, reached a historic milestone for England with his eleventh World Cup goal in the match against Panama. He surpassed the record of Gary Lineker, who had finished on ten World Cup goals for England. David Beckham is the only other English player to have scored at three World Cups (1998, 2002, 2006).

In Spain, an injury to Nico Williams provided talking points. The attacker had suffered a muscle injury to his right adductor in the third group match against Uruguay, after being fouled by Uruguay's Nico De la Cruz. Williams spoke of one of the worst days of his life and said the injury could have been avoided. His teammate Yeremy Pino, a 23-year-old attacker, was brought on after about an hour, but his World Cup too may already be over.

Injuries and personal tragedies

Uruguay was eliminated from the tournament after a 0:1 defeat to Spain. Marcelo Bielsa said after the match: "Meine Zeit wird als eine Phase in Erinnerung bleiben, die nichts hinterlassen hat."

Scotland also experienced a painful farewell. The team lost its final group match against Brazil 0:3 and was eliminated because Croatia reached six points and Ghana, as the third-placed team in Group L, finished on four points. Scotland's Steve Clarke stepped down immediately after the elimination. The Scottish Football Association stated: "Unser erfolgreichster Nationaltrainer hat sich nach sieben Jahren das Ende seiner Zeit bei uns entschieden."

In the Netherlands, a personal message overshadowed the sporting headlines. Striker Cody Gakpo and his partner Noa announced via social media that their son died during the pregnancy. The couple already has a two-year-old son and had announced in May the birth of a second child named Elijah Raphael. Gakpo shared his partner's post and asked for privacy: "Das ist eine unglaublich schwere Zeit für unsere Familie."

The Netherlands will face Morocco in the round of 16 on Tuesday. The match forms another chapter of a tournament that has already stood out for its unusual twists.

With a view to the overall situation, it remains to be noted that the impact of the late goals in Kansas City radiated beyond the direct encounter. The 3:3 not only decided Austria's fate, but also that of an entire continent in the World Cup race.

That a single action in stoppage time can have such far-reaching consequences underscores the drama of this tournament. For the sport, the takeaway is that at this World Cup every second counts.