Almoez Ali was Qatar's hero as the Asian Cup hosts and holders overcame Iran 3-2 in thrilling fashion to set up a final against Jordan.

Ali – the leading scorer at the 2019 Asian Cup – showed great composure and technique to settle Wednesday's chaotic semi-final at Al Thumama Stadium in Qatar's favour.

Qatar's winner came after Alireza Jahanbakhsh, fresh from scoring a last-minute spot-kick in the quarters, slammed a penalty down the middle to drag Iran level after Akram Afif's brilliant strike had put the hosts ahead before the break.

Sardar Azmoun's early stunner had been cancelled out by Jassem Gaber's deflected effort, with Iran – whose frustrations were compounded when Shoja Khalilzadeh was sent off late on –  having squandered a glut of opportunities to retake the lead prior to Ali's winner, while Jahanbakhsh went agonisingly close to forcing extra time when he struck the post in a frantic finale.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh's last-minute penalty gave Iran a 2-1 win over Japan, and a semi-final against Asian Cup holders and hosts Qatar will be their reward.

Jahanbakhsh kept his cool in the 96th minute to keep three-time Asian Cup winners Iran on course for a first title since 1976.

Iran came from behind after Hidemasa Morita put pre-tournament favourites Japan ahead in the first half of an entertaining quarter-final at Education City Stadium.

But Mohammad Mohebi levelled the score in the 55th minute to pave the way for Jahanbakhsh's late heroics.

Iran's win was made even more impressive considering they were without star striker Mehdi Taremi, who was suspended.

Qatar, meanwhile, are in with a chance of retaining the title after they defeated Uzbekistan on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Al Bayt Stadium.

Utkir Yusupov's own goal put Qatar ahead midway through the first half, but Uzbekistan rallied after the break – Odiljon Hamrobekov's effort enough to send the tie to extra time and eventually penalties.

Almoez Ali and Almahdi Ali both failed to convert for Qatar in the shoot-out, but Jaloliddin Masharipov's miss set the stage for Pedro Miguel to be Qatar's hero.

Iran will take on Qatar on Wednesday, a day after South Korea go up against Jordan.

Japan maintained their pursuit of a record-extending fifth Asian Cup title on Wednesday by advancing to the quarter-finals with a 3-1 win against Bahrain.

The pre-tournament favourites have bounced back from a surprise 2-1 loss against Iraq in the group stage and will play Iran in the next round.

Goals from Ritsu Doan, Takefusa Kubo and Ayase Ueda secured Japan's place in the last eight, while Zion Suzuki's own goal was the only consolation for Bahrain.

Japan went ahead in the 31st minute when Seiya Maikuma's long-range shot came back off the post and Doan converted on the rebound.

Kubo doubled the lead four minutes into the second half when he spun and finished from close range.

The Japan goalkeeper then tried to catch the ball, but collided with Ayase, who was attempting to head clear off the goal-line and the ball was fumbled into the net.

Ayase restored Japan's two-goal advantage eight minutes later when firing low at the near post to beat Bahrain keeper Ebrahim Lutfalla.

Three-time champions Iran later needed a penalty shoot-out to beat Syria, one of the tournament's surprise packages.

Down to 10-men after Mehdi Taremi was sent off in time added on, Iran eventually won 5-3 on spot-kicks at Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium. The game ended 1-1 after extra time.

Taremi fired Iran ahead with a penalty in the 34th after he had been fouled by Aiham Ousou.

Syria then equalised from the spot through Omar Khrbin in the 64th minute after Pablo Sabbag was brought down by Iran keeper Alireza Beiranvand.

Syria were playing in the knockout stage of the Asian Cup for the first time and were given an advantage when Taremi was sent off in the first minute of stoppage time for a second bookable offence.

In the shoot-out, Beiranvand's save from Fahd Youssef proved the decisive moment as Iran converted all of their spot kicks. It is the eighth time in a row that Iran have advanced to the quarter-finals.

Palestine and Syria advanced to the last 16 of the Asian Cup for the first time on a historic day for the tournament.

After Syria had overcome India 1-0 to book their progression from Group B, Palestine claimed their maiden Asian Cup victory by beating Hong Kong 3-0 to make it out of Group C.

Both teams – whose home nations are in the midst of conflicts – will progress as two of the four best third-placed sides.

Oday Dabbagh scored twice for Palestine, with Zeid Qunbar getting their other goal, in their emphatic victory at Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Stadium.

While Iran's 2-1 win over the United Arab Emirates in Tuesday's other Group C match was not enough to see Palestine through in second place, their progress was nevertheless sealed thanks to their improved goal difference over the other teams that either have, or may, finish third in their groups.

Both Iran and UAE join Palestine in progressing to the next round.

Mehdi Taremi scored both of Iran's goals in their victory, with Yahya Al Ghassani missing a penalty for UAE before grabbing a late consolation.

Syria, meanwhile, made it through thanks to Omar Khrbin's 77th-minute winner against India at Al Bayt Stadium.

Khrbin's decisive strike was Syria's only goal from their three group games.

Syria had failed to advance from the group stage in any of their previous six attempts.

Progress is a triumph for Argentine coach Hector Cuper, who was a back-to-back Champions League runner-up when in charge of Valencia. He also led Egypt to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in 2017.

Australia advanced as the Group B winner after drawing with Uzbekistan 1-1.

The 2015 champions had already secured a place in the round of 16 after two straight wins, and they confirmed top spot after picking up a point at Al Janoub Stadium.

Martin Boyle fired the Socceroos ahead from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time after a handball from Odiljon Xamrobekov. 

But Uzbekistan held onto second place in the group thanks to a goal from substitute Azizbek Turgunboev, who rose to meet Jaloliddin Masharipov's cross in the 78th minute.

Despite going ahead after an early strike by Son Heung-min, South Korea needed a last-minute own goal to salvage a 2-2 draw with Jordan at the Asian Cup.

Yazan Al-Arab's late intervention at the Al Thumama Stadium prevented a second surprise result in the space of 24 hours after Iraq had stunned tournament favourites Japan.

The draw leaves both South Korea, led by former United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann, and Jordan with four points from the first two games in Group E.

"It was a very, very intense game, which we expected," Klinsmann said. 

"After we got the lead, we were too slow. We were not physical enough. We lost one-on-one battles on the field, and that gave them a lot of energy."

Klinsmann, who won the 1990 World Cup with West Germany, was more satisfied with the second-half fightback.

He added: "We were in control. We created enough chances to win this game. Still, a tie is fine at the end of the day."

South Korea, two-time champions but searching for a first title since 1960, started well. After just five minutes, Son was fouled in the area by Ehsan Haddad. After a four-minute long VAR check, the Tottenham captain scored from the spot.

Jordan levelled after 37 minutes as Park Yong-woo headed a corner into his own net. Six minutes into first-half stoppage time, Jordan took the lead on Yazan Al-Naimat's goal.

But South Korea's pressure paid off in the first minute of second-half stoppage time. Son pulled the ball back in the area for Hwang In-beom and the low shot from the Red Star Belgrade midfielder was turned into his own goal by Al Arab.

Also in Group E, Bahrain beat Malaysia 1-0 to go third with three points. Ali Madan scored the only goal of the game in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time to leave Malaysia pointless.

The top two from each of the six groups advance to the round of 16, where they are joined by the four best-performing third-place teams.

The entertaining Saturday play came after two low-scoring affairs rounded out the action on Friday.

Indonesia moved level with Japan in the Group D standings after beating Vietnam 1-0.

The deadlock was broken after 42 minutes when Nguyen Thanh Binh pulled Rafael Struick's shirt in the area. Captain Asnawi Mangkualam fired home the penalty to give Indonesia a chance of a place in the knockout stage for the first time.

Vietnam, who have lost both of their games, were reduced to 10 men late in the game after Le Pham Thanh Long's second yellow card.

In Group C, Iran defeated Hong Kong 1-0 to secure a place in the round of 16. Mehdi Ghayedi scored with more than an hour left.

The win put three-time champions Iran on top, two points ahead of the United Arab Emirates. The teams meet on Tuesday.

Hong Kong stayed bottom with successive defeats and are a point behind their final group opponents Palestine.

Palestine suffered a 4-1 defeat to Iran in their opening game at the Asian Cup on Sunday, with a moment of silence observed before the match to commemorate the victims of the Israel-Hamas war.

As the war reached the 100-day mark, both teams lined up in the centre of the Education City Stadium pitch as an announcement asked for silence "in memory of the lives tragically lost as a result of the ongoing conflict in Palestine".

A hush fell across the stadium in the city of Al-Rayyan before shouts of "free Palestine" were heard from members of the crowd.

Once the game began, three-time champions Iran never looked back after Karim Ansarifard struck within two minutes, with Shoja Khalilzadeh adding a second goal 10 minutes later.

Mehdi Ghayedi made it 3-0 with 38 minutes on the clock, but the loudest cheers came when Palestine's Tamer Seyam pulled a goal back in first-half stoppage time.

Sardar Azmoun scored a fourth for Iran 10 minutes after the break as Amir Ghalenoei's team made a winning start to their Group C campaign.

Elsewhere, Takumi Minamino scored twice as Japan came from behind to beat Vietnam 4-2 in Group D.

The tournament favourites trailed 2-1 in the first half despite Monaco attacker Minamino opening the scoring after 11 minutes.

Nguyen Dinh Bac levelled things up at Al Thumama Stadium five minutes later and Vietnam, ranked 94th in the world by FIFA, went ahead through Pham Tuan Hai's goal in the 33rd minute.

Record four-time Asian Cup winners Japan, who have been heavily tipped to reclaim the trophy they last won in 2011, recovered from that setback as former Liverpool forward Minamino equalised in the 45th minute.

Keito Nakamura then made it 3-2 in first-half stoppage time and substitute Ayase Ueda made the points safe five minutes from full-time.

Finally, Hong Kong's Philip Chan Siu Kwan scored the 1,000th goal in the history of the Asian Cup, but his team still fell to a 3-1 defeat against the United Arab Emirates.

Chan briefly levelled the Group C match four minutes into the second half after Sultan Adil had given UAE the lead from the penalty spot 11 minutes before the break. However, it took just three further minutes for UAE to regain their advantage through Zayed Sultan.

Substitute Yahya Al Ghassani then struck deep into stoppage time to clinch victory against the lowest ranked team at the tournament, with Hong Kong sitting 150th in the FIFA World Rankings.

Carlos Queiroz has been named as the new head coach of Qatar.

The 2022 World Cup hosts had been without a coach since long-time boss Felix Sanchez's contract expired at the end of last year.

But Queiroz has succeeded Sanchez, having himself been out of work since Iran were eliminated from the World Cup.

That was the third finals the former Real Madrid coach had been to with Iran, although his two spells with the team were separated by unsuccessful stints with Colombia and Egypt.

Global players' union FIFPRO has called for Iran to lift a reported death sentence on footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani, saying it is "shocked and sickened" by his situation.

Nasr-Azadani has played for a number of clubs including Persian Gulf Pro League team Tractor. He is said to have been arrested in November and accused of having a part in the killing of three members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The IranWire website reported 26-year-old Nasr-Azadani is "in danger of execution" for an offence known as moharebeh, which is widely translated as meaning 'waging war against God'.

According to the website, Nasr-Azadani faces death by hanging.

Civil unrest and protests have been rife in Iran since a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, died in police custody in September after being arrested for not correctly wearing a headscarf.

FIFPro, which represents players worldwide, said it stood "in solidarity with" Nasr-Azadani.

It said in a statement: "FIFPRO is shocked and sickened by reports that professional footballer Amir Nasr-Azadani faces execution in Iran after campaigning for women’s rights and basic freedom in his country."

FIFPRO called "for the immediate removal of his punishment".

Former Iran and Bayern Munich striker Ali Karimi has also spoken out in support, denouncing the prospect of a death sentence and stating: "Do not execute Amir."

United States captain Tyler Adams paid tribute to his team's unity during Tuesday's crucial 1-0 World Cup win over Iran, while defender Tim Ream applauded the skipper's impact.

Christian Pulisic got the winning goal for the USA just before half-time at Al Thumama Stadium, a victory that secured their progression to the last 16.

The build-up to the game was dominated by geopolitical topics due to the two nations' strained relationship, with this their first World Cup meeting since a clash at France 1998 that was dubbed the "most politically charged game" in tournament history.

Iran won that encounter 2-1 in Lyon, but this time the USA got the victory over the line. As superior as they were in the first half, Gregg Berhalter's men were far less dominant after Pulisic's forced withdrawal – due to a pelvic contusion that will be managed "day-to-day" – at half-time.

Iran piled the pressure on towards the end and went close twice in stoppage time, but the USA held out to set up a clash with the Netherlands.

Given they did not even qualify for the last World Cup, their progression shows how far the USA have come in recent years, and Adams' comments reflected the feel-good factor surrounding the team.

"For me, I have obviously dreamed of playing in a World Cup, and I didn't know when that time would come," he told reporters. "Obviously that has come now. I am very proud to be representing the US and this team.

"The group we have in this locker room is superb, every day we show up and try and get better, and focus on getting better.

"Tonight was one of those nights where you knew you could look to your left and look to your right and there was someone battling for you."

The USA have only ever been beyond the last 16 at a men's World Cup once in its current format, back in 2002 when a Landon Donovan-inspired side reached the quarter-finals.

Standing in the way of matching that accomplishment are the Netherlands, and the size of the task facing the USA is not lost on Adams, who rates the Oranje among the best in Qatar.

"Obviously it is a big opportunity for us; an amazing game," he said. "We have obviously played against good teams here already like England; the Netherlands could be another favourite to win the World Cup and they have done really well to navigate their way through the tournament so far.

"They've some amazing players, we are going to have to be ready. For now, we will try to have some downtime and relax to regain our focus. Our coaches will obviously come up with a game plan to get us ready."

Adams' performance was vital to the USA prevailing, with the Leeds United midfielder's poise key to their first-half control and his tenacity important in disrupting an improved Iran after the break.

His 84 touches, 62 completed passes and 12 recoveries were all highs for the match, while Adams also tallied the second-most tackle attempts (three) on the USA team, successfully taking back possession on each occasion.

Ream, playing behind Adams at centre-back, saw his captain's performance at close quarters and was grateful for his protection.

"[Adams] makes everyone's job a little bit easier. The amount of ground he covers, his energy, tenacity, work rate; it's just incredible what he does on a football pitch.

"As he grows the team grows, you could see that. It's a pleasure to play behind him."

Of course, it was not the first time this week Adams has been under the spotlight.

He faced up to some awkward questions in Monday's pre-match press conference, with an Iranian journalist calling him out over his pronunciation of Iran.

Suffice to say, Ream joined the chorus of praise for how Adams handled that particular situation.

"I thought it was brilliant," Ream said. "It is what it is, that's the world we're living in right now.

"For him to handle it with the poise that he did, and the sincerity that he showed, I think was fantastic."

Gregg Berhalter believes his United States team will capture the imagination of viewers at home after drawing on the "American spirit" to reach the World Cup's last 16 at Iran's expense.

Christian Pulisic's close-range finish fired the USA to a 1-0 win over Iran at the Al Thumama Stadium on Tuesday, ensuring the Stars and Stripes leapfrogged their opponents to finish second in Group B, behind England.

Pulisic was forced out of the contest after colliding with Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beyranvand as he scored the goal, but that blow was not enough to dampen Berhalter's spirits.

With the 2026 tournament taking place across the USA, Mexico and Canada, much of the talk around Berhalter's team has focused on their ability to win over new fans at home, and the head coach believes his men have done just that.

"I'm sure there was a bunch of people back home watching, and I think the US reporters have talked about defining this group, and it starts to take shape on these performances," Berhalter said.

"You see how unified this group is, how much energy they put into every game, and along the way there was some good soccer. 

"That's the American spirit, and I think people will appreciate that at home.

"There's no need to project how far this team can go. It's great to be in this knockout format, we will relish it, and we'll stick together and enjoy the experience. 

"The end of the game is really what I'm most proud of, to hang on in there, to get the win and not buckle. This is the first time in 92 years we've had two shutouts at a World Cup."

Having reached the round of 16 in each of their last three World Cup participations (2010, 2014 and 2022), the USA will take on the Netherlands at the Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday.

Chelsea attacker Pulisic has been involved in both of the USA's goals at this year's tournament (one goal, one assist), and only Landon Donovan in 2010 (three goals) has ever contributed to more for the team at a single World Cup.

Pulisic's recovery will undoubtedly be a key talking point in the build-up to Saturday's game, but Berhalter was unwilling to speculate on his condition.

"He was taken off due to injury," Berhalter said. "He was taken to hospital as a precaution. It was a blow to his abdomen, an abdominal injury. 

"We FaceTimed him after the game from the locker room, we got to see him and he's in good spirits.

"The goal was something we'd been taking about for a while, to get the team to shift over to one side. 

"That's the special quality Christian has, as soon as the ball is wide, he goes in with intensity, he crashes the box and makes it very difficult with his change of pace."

The USA have only reached the World Cup's quarter-finals on one previous occasion (in 2002), but Berhalter says they are not content with their achievements to date.

"It's a great opportunity, but we're not going into it thinking it's an honour. We deserve to be in the position we're in, we don't want to go home," he said. 

"Now it's about how we recover and prepare to play against this Dutch team, who have a very clear idea and are very well coached. We have to come up with a way to beat them."

Iran head coach Carlos Queiroz questioned the "disinformation" about threats against his players and praised their efforts despite being eliminated from the World Cup after a 1-0 defeat to the United States.

Christian Pulisic's first-half goal was enough to condemn Iran to a loss in their final Group B game at Al Thumama Stadium on Tuesday.

Iran's players took part in an apparent display of solidarity with anti-government protesters in the country when they chose not to sing the national anthem ahead of their first game in Qatar against England.

Human rights groups say more than 400 people have lost their lives amid the repression of protests in Iran, which began following the September death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being arrested for her refusal to wear the mandatory hijab.

Reports had suggested the players' families had been threatened if they protested again, but in his post-match press conference, Queiroz gave a stern response.

"The world, in the current circumstances, is full of stupidities," he said. "If you hear from an anonymous source, you convey the information and in the space of two hours, some stupidities become truth.

"It's disinformation, it's a shame but it's the truth. We have heard several stories about threats the players received.

"But what I can state is that thanks to their work, thanks to the conversations we had, the players started smiling again and understood who they were playing for, their mission.

"I'm very glad they were able to give a response on the field and give prestige to the shirt."

Iran toiled in the first half against USA, but pressed hard for an equaliser late on, with Mehdi Taremi insistent he had been fouled by Cameron Carter-Vickers in the box as he tried to get a shot away in stoppage time, though the contact appeared minimal and the penalty appeals were denied.

Queiroz had no interest in making excuses though, saying: "I won't speak about [the penalty appeal] for two reasons. First, I haven't been able to see it in detail. But I think after the US has gone through to the next round, speaking about that is senseless.

"It reduces the dignity of the game. We have already undergone other decisions in 2014 and 2018 which were more clear and obvious, and life goes on."

Iran have now failed to get past the opening group phase at each of their six World Cup appearances (18 games); only Scotland (23) have played more games at the tournament with all of them coming in the opening group phase.

Queiroz was happy with his players' efforts, though, adding: "I am very proud and I'm honoured to be a coach of this Iran squad, the players are fantastic.

"I said before that earlier in my career, I coached many teams, and throughout my career, I've never seen players that gave so much and received so little in return.

"They deserve all my respect and admiration. I'm incredibly proud of their efforts in training and in games, wearing the shirt of their country."

Christian Pulisic was decisive as the United States beat Iran 1-0 to secure their place in the last 16 of the World Cup as geopolitics briefly took a back seat at Al Thumama Stadium.

Due to the long-strained relationship between the two countries politically and the ongoing civil unrest in Iran, the build-up to Tuesday's Group B clash was dominated by talk of almost anything but football.

Once the game settled, however, the USA's superiority was abundantly clear and Iran were fortunate to only trail by Pulisic's goal at the break, with Timothy Weah having one disallowed.

Carlos Queiroz's side did at least manage a shot after the break, but the USA had enough to see out a slender – albeit deserved – victory and set up a last-16 clash with Group A winners the Netherlands.

After an emotionally charged opening that saw both sides show purpose, the USA began to probe with the greater regularity.

Weah let Iran off the hook just before the half-hour, taking an early header – which led to an easy save – unaware he had time for the ball to drop.

Pulisic gave Alireza Beiranvand no chance 10 minutes later, though.

Sergino Dest headed Weston McKennie's exquisite pass into the danger zone and Pulisic slammed home while colliding with Beiranvand, ultimately forcing the Chelsea man off at the interval.

Weah strayed just offside before scoring what he thought was the USA's second, and half-time substitute Saman Ghoddos almost capitalised as he headed over just after the break.

Iran enjoyed a lot of late pressure but their efforts did not yield an equaliser, with Morteza Pouraliganji heading agonisingly wide and Mehdi Taremi failing to convert from close range in stoppage time.

France, Brazil and Portugal are the only sides to have already secured World Cup knockout football, with numerous teams facing a nervy final matchday as they bid to reach the round of 16 in Qatar.

Pre-tournament favourites Brazil breezed through Group G with wins over Serbia and Switzerland, while France became the first reigning world champions to escape the group stage since the Selecao in 2006.

Portugal made sure of their round-of-16 spot after Monday's Group H victory over Uruguay, yet the likes of England, Spain, Germany and Argentina all need results on matchday three to progress.

The Netherlands are another big name that have yet to confirm their place in the latter stages of FIFA's top tournament, while Belgium face a tense Group F clash with Croatia to avoid an early exit.

Here, Stats Perform takes a look at the permutations riding on the final selection of group-stage action in the Middle East.

Group A

The Netherlands are largely in control of Group A, needing to just avoid defeat against the already eliminated hosts, Qatar.

Louis van Gaal's side will also reach the round of 16 if Ecuador beat Senegal, who have to win otherwise Aliou Cisse's side will rely on a somewhat unlikely win for Qatar over the Netherlands to remain in contention.

Ecuador, who have impressed in their first two games, must win or draw against Senegal to progress. However, Gustavo Alfaro's men could go through in defeat if Qatar beat the Netherlands.

Group B

A win or a draw is enough for England against fierce rivals Wales. Yet, the Three Lions would still progress as long as they avoid a four-goal defeat against Wales, whose goal difference is six fewer.

Iran are guaranteed to qualify with victory over the United States, who know anything other than a win against Carlos Queiroz's side will see them eliminated from the competition.

Quieroz's men could still escape Group B with a draw, though goal difference would come into play if Wales pick up their first win at the tournament against Gareth Southgate's England.

Group C

All four teams can still make it out of an enticing Group C, with Argentina – who were among the pre-tournament favourites – needing to beat Poland to guarantee a round-of-16 place.

La Albiceleste could progress with a draw, however, and would be through in that instance if Mexico and Saudi Arabia also share the spoils.

Yet, if Lionel Scaloni's men are held and Herve Renard's men beat El Tri, Argentina will be eliminated. If Mexico win and Argentina draw, it goes to goal difference.

Poland would go through by avoiding defeat, but would be knocked out by a loss coupled with a Saudi Arabia victory over Mexico, who must win to have any chance of remaining in the tournament.

If Poland lose and Saudi Arabia draw, the two teams will have to be separated by goal difference, which will also be used if Czeslaw Michniewicz's side are defeated and Mexico win.

Group D

France are already in the round-of-16 draw and will top Group D as long as they do not lose to Tunisia and Australia do not defeat Denmark, otherwise the Socceroos would move level on six points with Les Bleus.

While victory would take Australia through, Graham Arnold's side would still reach the knockout stage with a draw unless Tunisia beat France, which would see Jalel Kadri's men progress on goal difference.

Denmark would grab qualification with a win over Australia unless Tunisia triumph over France, which would leave goal difference or goals scored to separate the Carthage Eagles and Kasper Hjulmand's men.

Group E

Spain are the favourites to progress from Group E, requiring a win or draw against Japan. Defeat would see Luis Enrique's side still go through on goal difference, unless Germany lose to Costa Rica.

Germany must pick up three points to stay in contention and would qualify as long as Spain defeat Japan, though a draw in the latter game or a win for Hajime Moriyasu's men would see goal difference needed.

A win for Japan over Spain would take Moriyasu's side through, while a draw – coupled with a stalemate for Germany – would also see the Samurai Blue make the knockout stage.

Costa Rica would earn a last-16 spot with victory and a point would also take them through if Spain overcome Japan. A draw in both games or a defeat for Fernando Suarez's side sees them eliminated.

Group F

Croatia will pass through Group F if they avoid defeat against Belgium, who require victory against the 2018 runners-up to guarantee a place in the round of 16.

Such a win for Belgium would leave Croatia needing already eliminated Canada to overcome Morocco, with goal difference coming into play to separate Zlatko Dalic's side from the Atlas Lions.

A draw is likely not enough for Belgium. They would need Morocco to lose to Canada and then rely on goal difference, though Walid Regragui's men (+2) hold the advantage over Roberto Martinez's side (-1) in the decisive metric.

Morocco would progress with victory over Canada, while a defeat would see Regragui's side reliant on Belgium beating Croatia for goal difference to be decisive between Dalic's men and the Atlas Lions for second.

Group G

Brazil have secured knockout football and will finish as Group G winners with anything other than defeat against Cameroon, who need victory against Tite's side and results to go their way to make the last 16.

Rigobert Song's men would be eliminated if they do not win, though victory is not guaranteed to secure progression as Switzerland could play out a high-scoring draw with Serbia to go through on goals scored, which is used if sides cannot be separated on goal difference – Cameroon are currently on -1 and Switzerland level in the latter metric.

The somewhat expected scenario of Cameroon losing to Brazil would see Serbia and Switzerland become a winner-takes-all clash. 

Dragan Stojkovic's side need victory to progress in that instance, while a draw would be enough for Switzerland. Goal difference would be required if Serbia (-2) and Cameroon (-1) both win their final encounters.

Group H

Portugal are already through and would top Group H by avoiding defeat against South Korea, who could still make a late charge for the round-of-16 stage should the result between Uruguay and Ghana go their way.

The permutations are straightforward for Uruguay and South Korea, who must win to avoid elimination, though qualification is not assured even with victory.

Both teams would be level on four points with victories, again leading to goal difference to separate. Yet, if Ghana beat Uruguay then South Korea's result against Portugal will prove irrelevant for Paulo Bento's side.

A draw for Ghana and a win for South Korea would also see goal difference required to split the two sides, with Bento's men trailing the Black Stars by one in that metric, which could mean goals scored comes into it.

In 1998, Lyon's Stade de Gerland played host to what has since become known as the most political match in World Cup history between the United States and Iran.

Relations between the two countries had been tense for three decades at the time, and Iran players were reportedly ordered by Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei not to walk towards their American counterparts during the pre-match handshakes.

Those pre-game formalities were carefully orchestrated to ensure the USA players were the ones walking during the pleasantries, but despite the political hostility, the Iranians handed white roses to their opponents as a peace offering and the two starting XIs posed for a joint photo.

The two nations will tussle for the first time in a competitive game since then on Tuesday, and despite the backdrop of civil unrest in Iran, this contest goes ahead with nowhere near the same kind of political intrigue.

Iran and the USA remain relatively hostile politically, but USA coach Gregg Berhalter was adamant that will not impact what occurs on the pitch during a game that is essentially a winner-takes-all encounter.

"I've played in three different countries, and I coached in Sweden, and the thing about soccer is you meet so many different people from all around the world, and you're united by a common love of the sport," Berhalter said.

"I envision the game being hotly contested for the fact that both teams want to advance to the next round – not because of politics or because of relations between our countries.

"We're soccer players and we're going to compete and they're going to compete and that's it."

Iran can secure their place in the last 16 with a draw, but the USA – who drew their first two matches – need to win.

The USA were eliminated by Iran as a result of a 2-1 loss in that infamous 1998 duel, which was also one of seven defeats they have suffered on matchday three on World Cup group stages.

They've only won their third group game once.

But the USA produced a positive performance during the draw with England, and Berhalter is happy his team have their destiny in their own hands.

"We win or we're out of the World Cup, and that's going to be the focus of ours in preparing the team," he added.

"Any time you're in a World Cup and you get to go into the last game controlling your destiny, that's a pretty good thing."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Iran – Sardar Azmoun

After being benched for the defeat to England, Azmoun started against Wales and carried real promise both in terms of his link-up play – their early disallowed goal was teed up by him – and his goalscoring threat.

His four shots was a team-high as was his 0.46 xG, he was just unfortunate in front of goal as he hit the post and saw a close-range header blocked by Wayne Hennessey.

Nevertheless, his performance was something of a statement after being left out on matchday one, and his pairing with Mehdi Taremi – who remarkably created eight chances last time out – will surely be key if Iran are to beat the USA.

United States – Christian Pulisic

The USA need to win, so they could do with their most-recognisable player leading by example in attack.

Pulisic had his moments against England, with his combined tally of five shots and chances created a high for his team, while he also generally worked hard, engaging in more duels (10) than any other USA player.

There's a perception Pulisic has failed to develop as many expected when he was younger, but this would be a great time to remind the doubters of his ability.

PREDICTION

According to Stats Perform's prediction model, the USA are more than twice as likely to win this game than Iran are, with their respective victory chances at 50.2 per cent and 24.1 per cent.

In fact, the supercomputer reckons a draw (25.7 per cent) is more likely than an Iran win, though crucially for Carlos Queiroz's men, a stalemate could be enough for progress as long as Wales don't beat England.

Gregg Berhalter apologised for US Soccer posting an altered Iran flag on social media but insisted he and the United States team knew nothing of it in a tense World Cup pre-match news conference.

The Group B meeting of the USMNT and Iran was always likely to be politically charged given the friction between the two countries.

In an early answer at his media briefing on Monday, Berhalter sought to head off such questions, saying: "When I think about this match, I know a lot of other constituents have a lot of feelings towards it.

"For us, it's a soccer game against a good team. It's not much more than that. It's a knockout game, both teams are desperate to go to the next round. That's how we're looking at this match."

But that did little to quell the line of questioning, which was not helped by a Twitter post on Sunday.

US Soccer uploaded an edited Iran flag without the emblem of the Islamic Republic in a move to support protestors in the country, where there has been unrest since the September death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being arrested for her refusal to wear the mandatory hijab.

That post prompted outrage in Iran, including state-affiliated media Tasnim calling for the United States to be removed from the World Cup.

Tyler Adams, who was corrected on his pronunciation of "Iran", said the USMNT "support Iran's people and Iran's team" but are "laser-focused on this match".

Berhalter expanded more on the topic, replying initially: "We had no idea about what US Soccer put out, the staff, the players had no idea. Our focus is on this match.

"I don't want to sound aloof or not caring in saying that, but the guys have worked really hard for the past four years.

"We have 72 hours between England and Iran, and we really are just focused on how to get past Iran and go to the knockout stage of this tournament.

"Of course our thoughts are with the Iranian people, the whole country, the whole team, everyone, but our focus is on this match."

When Berhalter was asked again about the Twitter post, he said: "I can only reiterate that the players and the staff knew nothing about what was being posted. Sometimes things are out of our control.

"We believe it'll be a match where the result depends on who puts more effort on, who executes better on the field, not what happens outside.

"We can only apologise on behalf of the players and the staff. It's not something we're a part of."

Former USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann had not helped matters when he accused Iran of having "worked the referee" against Wales, suggesting getting to the match officials and pushing the boundaries of acceptability was "part of their culture".

Iran boss Carlos Queiroz responded in a series of Twitter posts, calling for Klinsmann to be sacked from a role with FIFA, but he would not answer questions on the matter at his own news conference.

Berhalter added little, saying: "I'm up here to discuss the game USA-Iran, not Jurgen Klinsmann.

"You're talking about a guy who's up on the TV. If you want a comment on what he said and how he said it, you should ask Jurgen."

But it was not only questions from Iranian reporters that caused Berhalter some discomfort, with US media relaying Eric Wynalda's claim the coach had asked Gio Reyna to lie about an injury to explain his absence from the USMNT's first match.

"Speaking of a four-year journey, there's been also four years of interacting with you guys," Berhalter said. "I'll leave it to you to decide if I asked Gio to lie about it.

"That's just not who I am, that's not what I represent. If you have to take Eric's word or my word or whatever, feel free. I know what happened. That's not what I represent.

"Like every other person, Gio's a member of this team we care deeply for, and we know he can help the team. It's a matter of when he can help us and how he can help us."