It’s a winner-take-all match in Group B as the USA face Iran with a knockout-round berth on the line. Iran can advance with a win or draw to its first knockout stage in history, while the USA need a win at all costs to go through for the first time since 2014.
The group stage finale has had a tense buildup with geo- and sociopolitical themes rising to the surface. There was an incident involving the U.S. team altering the Iranian flag as a show of support for the protests in Iran, a statement by former USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann that drew the ire of Iran’s coach, and an unusual press conference on the eve of the match.
These two teams faced off in the World Cup in 1998, also in the final match of the group stage. Iran won 2-1, but neither made it through to the knockouts.
The Americans are unbeaten so far with draws against Wales and England, while Iran suffered a humiliating 6-2 defeat to the Three Lions, only to bounce back and knock off Wales 2-0 to give it the edge in the race for the second knockout berth in the group.
Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights for USA vs. Iran at the 2022 World Cup. Follow below for complete results from the Group B match in Qatar.
MORE: Best bets for USA vs. Iran
USA vs Iran live score
| 1H | 2H | Final | |
| USA | — | — | — |
| Iran | — | — | — |
Goals:
None
Confirmed lineups:
USA (4-3-3, right to left): 1-Turner (GK) — 2-Dest, 20. Carter-Vickers, 13-Ream, 5-Robinson — 8-McKennie, 4-Adams, 6-Musah — 21-Weah, 24. Sargent, 10-Pulisic.
Iran (4-4-2, right to left): 1-Beiranvand (GK) — 23-Rezaeian, 19-Hosseini, 8-Pouraliganji, 5-Mohammadi — 17-Gholizadeh, 21-Nourollahi, 6-Ezatolahi, 3-Safi — 20-Azmoun, 9-Taremi.
MORE: Watch every World Cup match live with fuboTV (U.S.-only free trial)
LIVE Group B standings, scores
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. England | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 2 | +4 |
| 2. Iran | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 | -2 |
| 3. USA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 4. Wales | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -2 |
LIVE SCORE: 🏴 England 0, 🏴 Wales 0 (kickoff 2pm ET / 7pm GMT)
USA vs Iran live updates, highlights from 2022 World Cup
7 mins to kickoff: The U.S. has gone winless in five straight matches. The national team hasn’t gone six straight without a win since the 90’s. They have to win today to advance, there’s no other way to move on. Let’s get this game on!
5 – The #USMNT is winless in five straight matches dating back to the pre-World Cup friendlies. They haven’t gone six straight without a win since 1998-99, including three losses at the 1998 World Cup. Legacies. pic.twitter.com/GTb6MWevjB
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) November 29, 2022
15 mins to kickoff: As kickoff nears, there’s one player the U.S. will need to be careful of when Iran has the ball, and that’s 30-year-old Porto striker Mehdi Taremi. He’s in spectacular form for club and country, with 15 goals in 21 appearances for Porto this year across all competitions, and he leads the World Cup in chances created from open play so far.
There’s one player at the #FIFAWorldCup with nine open-play chances created. It’s Iran’s Mehdi Taremi.#IRNUSA pic.twitter.com/dDjKeyHh87
— Opta Analyst US (@OptaAnalystUS) November 29, 2022
22 mins to kickoff: Fascinatingly, the United States has named just its second starting lineup ever in a competitive match without a single MLS player, and first in a World Cup, since the current iteration of the league began in 1996. Walker Zimmerman had been holding down the fort, but now, all 11 players starting for the U.S. are European-based.
It kind of makes sense, with MLS having been off since the league ended a month ago, and European players are just in better form and fitness to handle the rigors of this tournament. And, more simplistically, they’re just the best choices at this point.
2 – The #USMNT has named no MLS players in its starting XI for a competitive match for only the second time since the league began in 1996 (also vs. Jamaica in 2011 Gold Cup). International. pic.twitter.com/MbYJqhQhy0
— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) November 29, 2022
35 mins to kickoff: All eyes will be on Christian Pulisic today for the United States. While he’s established himself as the most important attacking player for the USMNT, he has yet to have a massive moment in a U.S. shirt — at least not to the level of a goal & good performance today would be rated.
Pulisic is suffering through the worst international goal drought of his career, without a successful strike in seven straight appearances, totaling 585 minutes for the national team. One today would be easily the biggest of his young career, still just 23 years old.
Will Christian Pulisic score for Team #USA today? #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/6rKe7IpYwO
— NBC Sports EDGE Betting (@NBCSportsBet) November 29, 2022
50 mins to kickoff: While plenty of fans have been asking questions of the selection in the USMNT attack, there’s been little attention payed to the defensive side of things. Yet today Walker Zimmerman is replaced by Cameron Carter-Vickers.
Bringing on a defender who hasn’t played in either of the first two matches is risky from a form perspective, but it’s hard to argue Zimmerman has played well enough to keep his place, and the change appears warranted. Zimmerman was the one to give away the costly penalty vs. Wales and then looked shaky on the ball against England. Carter-Vickers has been solid for Celtic this season in Scotland.
One thing to note: Tim Ream and Cameron Carter-Vickers have never played together in a match for the national team.
🇺🇸 Good luck to Cameron Carter-Vickers and @USMNT tonight!#FIFAWorldCup #CelticFC🍀 pic.twitter.com/SBRlFhWGmW
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) November 29, 2022
1 hr 10 mins from kickoff: Lineups are in. For the United States, fans hoping that Gio Reyna would start will be disappointed, as there are only two changes to be made, and he’s not one of them. Instead, it’s Josh Sargent in at striker, with Jesus Ferreira still left on the bench. Additionally, Walker Zimmerman has come out of his defensive role after two mediocre performances, replaced by the big Cameron Carter-Vickers.
For Iran, the only change is in goal where Alireza Beiranvand returns after his awful collision in the opener against England left him with a concussion. It’s quite the turnaround for him, and a big boost for Iran who are better with him in goal, especially thanks to his incredible distribution.
1 hr 25 mins from kickoff: The site of today’s match is Al Thumama Stadium, whose seats…are colored the same as Iran’s flag! Is that a bad sign for the USMNT?
Is it a bad omen for the U.S. that the stadium seats are in Iran’s colors? pic.twitter.com/qo86fXTQO1
— Leander Schaerlaeckens (@LeanderAlphabet) November 29, 2022
🏟 Al Thumama Stadium pic.twitter.com/mtaYe7ea9D
— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) November 29, 2022
1 hr 45 mins from kickoff: With the full-time results in the early matches today from Group A, the possible opponents for USA or Iran are set. The Netherlands win Group A, while Senegal finish second and advance. Ecuador and hosts Qatar are eliminated.
For the United States, win and England win/draw vs. Wales means they take on the Netherlands in the Round of 16, while a win plus an England loss to Wales means they top the group and take on Senegal. For Iran, a win and England win means they take on the Netherlands, while a win and England draw/loss means they take on Senegal. A draw would mean Iran can only top the group and face Senegal if England lose to Wales by seven or more goals, which isn’t happening.
Both teams need to take care of business today first before even giving that any thought.
2 hrs from kickoff: LOVE a good crisp, clean locker room photo. The U.S. are wearing their dark blue kits for this match, with the goalkeepers in bright yellow. Lineups will be released for sure in an hour, although the U.S. have been releasing theirs about 15 minutes early in previous World Cup games.
SOON ⏳🇺🇸@USMNT pic.twitter.com/k0pkG98dIF
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
2 hrs 23 mins from kickoff: Yesterday, the U.S. national team posted an inside look into their World Cup camp as they prepare for the do-or-die match against Iran. Give it a watch!
𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁: Take a peek inside the #USMNT’s base camp in Qatar as the squad navigates the group stage 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/IpWTkguCtG
— U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (@USMNT) November 28, 2022
2 hrs 42 mins from kickoff: Gregg Berhalter made it clear to his players what he wants them to play for today. Obviously, playing for your country is a given, so he focused more on personal legacy. This match is a defining moment for any player’s career, and players will want to tell the story of this match in a positive manner decades from now.
“‘In 20 years, what do you want your story to tell?’… Tonight, this match facing elimination against Iran, it can be the beginning or the end of that story for the Americans.”@JennyTaft on the message Gregg Berhalter had for the @USMNT ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/l0WGpa42sw
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
3 hrs from kickoff: If U.S. fans are looking for some good vibes ahead of this World Cup, how about giving a watch to the highlights from the 1-0 victory over Algeria in the 2010 World Cup? The U.S. faced a similar situation, against a similar opponent, requiring victory to advance. They left it very late, but Landon Donovan delivered one of the most iconic goals in U.S. history in the 91st minute to send the U.S. into the knockout stage.
FIFA doesn’t allow embedding of their videos, but you can watch the highlights here.
Wild stat I just found doing #USA vs. #IRN prep:
1️⃣ The #USMNT has played a third group stage match 8 times at the #FIFAWorldCup. They have won just 1 — the famous 2010 win over Algeria (Donovan, etc etc).
They lost all 7 others.
— Kyle Bonn (@the_bonnfire) November 27, 2022
3 hrs 16 mins from kickoff: In what was an utterly extraordinary pre-match press conference, USMNT captain Tyler Adams proved yesterday why he was picked to lead the team on the field. His response to an aggressive question from an Iranian journalist was top drawer.
From a football perspective, Adams will be a critical player for the U.S. today. He’ll have to start possessional buildups, and more importantly, he will be key to shielding the back line when Iran try to muck up the game or hit on the counter.
Tyler Adams mispronounced Iran and was called out by an Iranian journalist – who followed up with a question on discrimination in the United States.
His response: An all time classy answer- Captain & Leader. #USMNT 👏 pic.twitter.com/pELQmBttPl
— Stu Holden (@stuholden) November 28, 2022
3 hrs 30 mins from kickoff: USA fans have been flooding the betting market to back their team!
“USA is currently BetMGM’s biggest liability to win the World Cup. While we’re personally fans, @USMNT winning it would be a tough outcome for the book, that said, as they advance, we’re seeing more betting action than ever.”
– Christian Cipollini, Sports Trader, @BetMGM
— John Ewing 🦁 (@johnewing) November 29, 2022
3 hrs 52 mins from kickoff: After the draw with England, former national team player and current media pundit Eric Wynalda went on a Twitter Spaces with the LA Times and made claims that there was a rift between Gregg Berhalter and Gio Reyna caused by the young Dortmund star’s lack of playing time thus far. He also claimed, somewhat inflammatory, that Berhalter lied about Reyna’s fitness when explaining his absence to the media, and that he asked Reyna to go along with the lie.
Wynalda went on SiriusXM radio to clarify his comments earlier this morning. While Wynalda seemingly didn’t walk almost any of the information he gave back, he did clarify that Berhalter did not specifically ask Reyna to go along with the lie, but expected him to do so. Wynalda did apologize to Berhalter for going public with his comments, saying he should have kept them to himself.
Most interesting to me, Wynalda did say that he believes the conversation between Berhalter and Reyna resulted in an understanding that he will “see the field more.” Which, given that this is their last group match, seems to suggest that Reyna will start.
On Counter Attack, @EricWynalda clarified comments he made about #USMNT Head Coach Gregg Berhalter on Twitter Spaces with the @latimes.
Hear the entire conversation with @KeithCostigan here – https://t.co/cv63ZlzuVl pic.twitter.com/9J2DQK2mIK
— SiriusXM FC 157 ⚽️📻 (@SiriusXMFC) November 28, 2022
4 hrs 17 mins from kickoff: Monitoring line movement from BetMGM on this one…Vegas seems to be leaning towards a draw, which as you’ll know by now is obviously not good news for the United States. Both the U.S. and Iran moneylines have closed in towards the draw figure, with the U.S. moving from -110 to +100 and Iran moving from +310 to +290. Those numbers are slight, but they’re still meaningful.
The more aggressive movement has come on the game flow prediction, with the under 2.5 goal total sliding from -150 all the way to -185. Under 1.5 goals has moved from +205 to +160. One goal is expected to win this game.
4 hrs 45 mins from kickoff: This CNN report is the reality that the Iranian players have to endure. The same tactic was reportedly employed when the two teams met in the 1998 World Cup.
The families of Iran’s World Cup soccer team have been threatened with imprisonment and torture if the players fail to “behave” ahead of the match against the USA on Tuesday, a source involved in the security of the games said. https://t.co/nXwZoW0Nqu
— CNN (@CNN) November 28, 2022
USA vs Iran lineups, team news
The questions around the USA heading into the final group match awerere less to do with injuries and more about personnel decisions: Does Borussia Dortmund’s Gio Reyna start? If not, how many minutes does he get? After Josh Sargent (vs. Wales) and Haji Wright (vs. England), is it now Jesus Ferreira’s turn in the tight spaces against Iran?
Both those questions were answered with a “no” as Gregg Berhalter stuck with Tim Weah on the right flank, while Sargent comes back into the lineup.
Berhalter instead makes a change at the back, with Walker Zimmerman out of his center-back role, replaced by Cameron Carter-Vickers.
USA (4-3-3, right to left): 1-Matt Turner (GK) — 2-Sergino Dest, 20. Cameron Carter-Vickers, 13-Tim Ream, 5-Antonee Robinson — 8-Weston McKennie, 4-Tyler Adams, 6-Yunus Musah — 21-Tim Weah, 24-Josh Sargent, 10-Christian Pulisic.
Feyenoord winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh is suspended due to yellow-card accumulation and won’t play the match for Iran. Carlos Queiroz had indicated that goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand was held out of the Wales victory due to concussion protocol but that he will be available vs. USA, and that came true as he re-enters the starting lineup.
There have been injury concerns around Bayer Leverkusen forward Sardar Azmoun, but it was hard to see him missing out on starting what could be a historic match for his country, and indeed he’s in the lineup.
Iran (4-4-2, right to left): 1-Alireza Beiranvand (GK) — 23-Ramin Rezaeian, 19-Majid Hosseini, 8-Morteza Pouraliganji, 5-Milad Mohammadi — 17-Ali Gholizadeh, 21-Ahmad Nourollahi, 6-Saeid Ezatolahi, 3-Ehsan Hajsafi — 20-Sardar Azmoun, 9-Mehdi Taremi.
MORE: Complete World Cup Round of 16 details
USA vs Iran live stream, TV channel
This final Group B match will be played at the Al Thumama Stadium. Here’s how you can watch all the action in some of the major global territories.
| Date | Time | TV Channel | Streaming | |
| USA | Tue, Nov. 29 | 14:00 ET | Fox, Telemundo |
fuboTV, Fox Sports site/app, Telemundo Deportes site/app, Peacock |
| Canada | Tue, Nov. 29 | 14:00 ET | TSN 2, RDS (French) | TSN site/app, RDS app |
| UK | Tue, Nov. 29 | 19:00 GMT | BBC Two | BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website |
| Australia | Wed, Nov. 30 | 06:00 AEDT | SBS VICELAND | SBS On Demand |
| India | Wed, Nov. 30 | 00:30 IST | — | Voot, JioTV |
| Hong Kong | Wed, Nov. 30 | 03:00 HKT | Now TV (Ch. 619, 617) | Now TV |
| Malaysia | Wed, Nov. 30 | 03:00 MYT | Astro Arena 2 | Astro GO |
| Singapore | Wed, Nov. 30 | 03:00 SGT | StarHub TV FIFA World Cup 2 |
Singtel TV GO, CAST, StarHub TV+, MeWatch |
| New Zealand | Wed, Nov. 30 | 08:00 NZDT | Sky Sport 1 NZ | Sky Go, Sky Sport NOW |
