It comes down to this.
The United States men’s national team needs a win over Iran on Tuesday afternoon in Qatar to advance from Group B and reach the knockout stages of the 2022 World Cup. The Americans would be eliminated with a loss or draw; Iran likely just needs a draw to advance.
The backdrop for the match is political tensions between the two nations, which were inflamed when the US Soccer Federation published social media posts with an altered version of Iran’s flag — a gesture intended to support ongoing protests for women’s rights in Iran.
The USA and Iran previously met at the 1998 World Cup in a fierce match that ended in a historic 2-1 victory for Iran.
