Austria and Algeria secured their places in the World Cup knockout stage following a dramatic 3-3 draw on Saturday night, a result that saw Iran eliminated from the tournament.
The match, played in Kansas City, Missouri, remained tied 2-2 in the final minutes. Algeria appeared set to run out the clock when Riyad Mahrez scored his second goal in stoppage time, putting Austria on the brink of elimination. However, Sasa Kalajdzic headed in an equalizer moments later, salvaging Austria's World Cup hopes.
Marko Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer also scored for Austria, which finished second in Group J behind Argentina. This marks Austria's first advancement to the knockout round since 1982. They are scheduled to face European champion Spain on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Rafik Belghali scored for Algeria, making them the ninth of ten African teams to advance. Algeria finished third in the group but secured a Round of 32 matchup with Switzerland on Thursday night in Vancouver.
Iran would have advanced as one of the best third-place teams if either Austria or Algeria had won. Kalajdzic's late goal, however, led to their elimination.
The match at Arrowhead Stadium saw a passionate crowd, with many locals appearing to support Algeria, which had established its training base in nearby Lawrence, Kansas.
The game's dramatic finish evoked memories for some longtime Algeria supporters of the "Disgrace of Gijón" at the 1982 World Cup. In that tournament, Austria and West Germany advanced at Algeria's expense after a controversial match where the final minutes were played with little intensity, leading Algeria to protest to FIFA without success.
Austria took the lead early through Marko Arnautovic, who timed his run perfectly to go one-on-one with the Algerian goalkeeper. Algeria equalized just before halftime with a left-footed shot from Rafik Belghali.
In the second half, Konrad Laimer's pass set up Marcel Sabitzer to regain Austria's lead. Algeria responded quickly, with Riyad Mahrez scoring off an assist from Houssem Aouar to level the score once more. The match concluded with late goals from Mahrez and Kalajdzic, ensuring a thrilling end to the group stage.