FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup:
Iran beaten by Portugal in final group game, gets Belarus in last eight
Iran suffered a 7-5 defeat against Portugal at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Victoria, Seychelles, on Monday to finish runner-up to the two-time champion in Group B with six points.
Having already secured a last-eight spot – thanks to victories over Mauritania (5-4) and Paraguay (5-1) – Ali Naderi’s men started on the front foot at the Paradise Arena as goals from Mohammadali Nazarzadeh and Reza Amiri, either side of an Andre Lourenco’s equalizer, gave the Asian champion a 2-1 lead by the end of the first period.
The European powerhouse, however, dominated in the second period, with Coimbra, Jordan, Lourenco, and Be Martins on target.
Be Martins netted his second of the night early in the third period, before Mohammadali Mokhtari pulled one back in style, only for Miguel Pintado to restore Portugal’s four-goal cushion.
Nazarzadeh and Mokhtari reduced the deficit in the closing stages, but the late rally proved too little, too late for the Asian powerhouse, which finished third in its last two World Cup appearances in 2019 and 2024.
“We were mentally prepared for this match. We had analyzed Portugal well and started the match well with two goals. Ultimately though, we let ourselves down defensively with some individual and some team mistakes, but it’s not the end for us,” Nazarzadeh, the youngest player in the Iranian squad, said after the game.
The defeat meant Iran will take on Belarus in the quarterfinals on Thursday – a repeat of last year’s third-place contest, which Iran won 6-1 in Dubai.
Belarus routed Guatemala 12-3 earlier on Monday to finish the group campaign with a clean sweep of three victories, beating Japan to the top spot in Group C.
The loss to Portugal may ultimately prove to be a blessing in disguise for Naderi’s men, as it saw them avoid defending champion Brazil in the knockout stages until the final.
The most decorated team in the competition with six trophies, Brazil defeated Iran 3-2 in the semifinals last year.