Iran v USA, 29 November 2022

Kick-off: 10.00pm local (7.00pm GMT) . FIFA world ranking: Iran 20, USA 16 . USA had to win this final group game or would have been eliminated. Iran would progress with a win, or with a draw if England avoided defeat in the other group game against Wales (England won 3-0). . Iran’s last eight goals at the World Cup finals had all been scored in the second-half of games. Also, five of their last six goals at the World Cup tournaments have been scored in added time at the end of the games. . Iran had now been eliminated at the group stage in their six participations at World Cup finals. . Iran failed in their attempt to win two games in a single World Cup tournament for the first time. . Since it became a 32-nation tournament in 1986, USA avoided becoming the third team to fail to reach the knockout stage at a World Cup finals despite remaining unbeaten in the group stage; previously by Belgium in 1998 and New Zealand in 2010. . The average age of the USA starting line-up was 24 years and 321 days; the youngest by any nation so far at this World Cup tournament. . This was the first time that all 11 players in a USA starting line-up in a game at the World Cup finals were contracted to clubs in Europe. . USA had lost seven of their previous eight third group games at World Cup finals. The other game was a 1-0 win against Algeria in 2010. . USA had now kept a clean sheet in consecutive games at the World Cup finals for the first time since their first two games at the inaugural tournament in 1930. . USA had now won eight of the 11 games they had played at the World Cup finals when they led at half-time (lost one). . On the day he left his teenage years, Yunus Musah became the first player to play for USA in a game at the World Cup finals on his birthday. He also became the youngest player to start their first three group games for USA at a World Cup tournament; previously Landon Donovan in 2002 (20 years and 102 days). . Iran famously beat USA 2-1 in Lyon in the only previous meeting at the World Cup finals. That defeat eliminated the US from the 1998 tournament. .