United States v Iran (1998 FIFA World Cup)
Updated: 11/6/2025, 1:56:26 AM Wikipedia source
United States v Iran, played on 21 June 1998, was a football match between Iran and the United States in the group stage of the 1998 FIFA World Cup at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon, France. The match, which is described as the "mother of all games" and the "most politically charged game in World Cup history", ended with a 2–1 victory for Iran, the team's first ever victory in the history of the FIFA World Cup. Hamid Estili and Mehdi Mahdavikia scored for Iran, while Brian McBride scored for the United States.
Infobox
Event
1998 FIFA World Cup Group F
United States
United States Iran 1 2
Date
21 June 1998
Venue
Stade de Gerland, Lyon
Referee
Urs Meier (Switzerland)
Attendance
39,100
Tables
· Aftermath
1
1
Pos
1
Team .mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- } }vte
Germany
Pld
3
W
2
D
1
L
0
GF
6
GA
2
GD
+4
Pts
7
Qualification
Advance to knockout stage
2
2
Pos
2
Team .mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- } }vte
FR Yugoslavia
Pld
3
W
2
D
1
L
0
GF
4
GA
2
GD
+2
Pts
7
3
3
Pos
3
Team .mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- } }vte
Iran
Pld
3
W
1
D
0
L
2
GF
2
GA
4
GD
−2
Pts
3
4
4
Pos
4
Team .mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- } }vte
United States
Pld
3
W
0
D
0
L
3
GF
1
GA
5
GD
−4
Pts
0
| Pos | Team hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output inline dl,.mw-parser-output inline ol,.mw-parser-output inline ul,.mw-parser-output dl dl,.mw-parser-output dl ol,.mw-parser-output dl ul,.mw-parser-output ol dl,.mw-parser-output ol ol,.mw- .mw- hlist dd:last-child ,.mw- hlist dd dd:first-child ,.mw-parser-output dd dt:first-child ,.mw-parser-output dd li:first-child ,.mw-parser-output dt dd:first-child ,.mw-parser-output dt dt:first-child ,.mw-parser-output dt li:first-child ,.mw-parser-output li dd:first-child ,.mw- hlist dd dd:last-child ,.mw-parser-output dd dt:last-child ,.mw-parser-output dd li:last-child ,.mw-parser-output dt dd:last-child ,.mw-parser-output dt dt:last-child ,.mw-parser-output dt li:last-child ,.mw-parser-output li dd:last-child ,.mw- .mw- hlist dd ol>li:first-child ,.mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- } }vte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Germany | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 7 | Advance to knockout stage |
| 2 | FR Yugoslavia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 7 | |
| 3 | Iran | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 3 | |
| 4 | United States | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 |
References
- FIFA.comhttps://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/france1998/matches/match/8754/
- FourFourTwohttps://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/usa-vs-iran-france-98-most-politically-charged-game-world-cup-history
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jun/20/great-satan-1-2-iran-the-most-politically-charged-match-in-world-cup-history
- AP NEWShttps://apnews.com/ad31c99ee5744daca6bfd6751750c93b
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1998/06/22/sports/enmity-past-us-meets-iran-and-suffers-bitter-2-1-defeat.html
- ESPN.comhttps://www.espn.com/soccer/fifa-world-cup/story/4812270/oral-history-of-usa-iran-1998-world-cup-interviewsphotos
- TheGuardian.comhttps://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/dec/18/afshin-ghotbi-1998-had-a-bigger-magnitude-for-iranians-than-americans
- "The unlikely journey of Afshin Ghotbi"http://www.espn.com/sports/soccer/blog/_/name/young_mark/id/5950495/american-afshin-ghotbi-lead-iran-2011-afc-asian-cup
- "Exiled Iranian coach aims for historic goal"https://web.archive.org/web/20110122132008/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/football/01/21/iran.afshin.ghotbi.us/index.html
- www.cbsnews.comhttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/world-cup-usa-iran-score-updates/