Three draws from three games. Seven World Cups, still no knockout stage. Not yet, anyway.

None of this should have been straightforward to reach. Iran came into this tournament under conditions no other team at these finals has faced. US and Israeli strikes on the country months before meant their participation was uncertain for weeks. FIFA denied their request to move games to Mexico. They trained in Tijuana, were permitted to enter the United States only on matchdays, and flew back the same night after every game. Their federation president and press officers were not allowed into the country at all.

The fixture carried its own additional weight: a Pride Match designation from Seattle’s local organising committee, objected to formally by both federations, and a stadium where some Iranian fans booed their own national anthem and waved the pre-revolutionary lion-and-sun flag FIFA had banned. Ghalenoei, before kick-off, said his team were going to bring joy to their people.

Egypt were ahead inside five minutes. Mohamed Salah went for a left-footed curler from outside the box and Beiranvand turned it around the post. The ball dropped to Mahmoud Saber, whose shot had no right to go in. It went through Beiranvand’s hands and legs and into the net.

Beiranvand had barely been troubled in the goalless draw with Belgium. This was something else entirely.

Iran won a penalty in the tenth minute. Captain Mehdi Taremi side-footed it tamely. Mostafa Shobeir dived left, comfortable. Four minutes later Iran were level. Shobeir saved Milad Mohammadi’s low shot and Ramin Rezaeian drilled the rebound into the roof of the net from a tight angle. It was his third World Cup goal, more than any Iranian in the tournament’s history.

The first half settled into an even contest after that frantic opening. Egypt had the better of it. Salah was taken off in the 57th minute and Iran began to feel the heat of what was happening in Vancouver: Belgium were building toward a 5-1 win over New Zealand, which meant Iran needed a win here to go through directly.

They pressed. In the 89th minute Taremi’s header crashed off the crossbar. It was the second time in three games Iran had been denied by VAR — against Belgium, Taremi’s goal had been ruled out for offside in the 26th minute. In the 93rd, Khalilzadeh bundled in and the bench streamed onto the pitch. And then the two words. And then the block. And then the crossbar again. And then the whistle.

Egypt go through as runners-up, reaching the round of 32 for the first time, where they face Australia in Dallas. Iran wait on results involving Croatia, Algeria and DR Congo on Sunday.

Before leaving Los Angeles after the Belgium draw, the players had left a handwritten note. “From the ancient Persia of thousands of years ago to the civilised Iran of today, the spirit of Iran remains alive and steadfast. We came to Los Angeles with Pride, competed with honour and leave with dignity.”

In the dugout, Ghalenoei had still not moved.