01:50 am: Wrapping up...
It’s Uruguay v Portugal and Spain vs Russia in the round of 16. One final time, credit to Iran and Morocco for giving us a night to remember. We’ll leave you with you this image. Goodnight folks! Join us for Group C and Group D final games. Argentina time!
01:44 am: Relief indeed.
01:37 am: Just a confirmation of how things ended up in Group B.
01:35 am: Massive props to Iran and Morocco for making what was, on paper, a straightforward group, anything but. Incredible effort. The Moroccan fans are still in full voice apparently in the stadium. The full time pictures wouldn’t have told you Spain went through top of the group.
1:28 am: Alright, the CAPS LOCK is off now. Phew. What a mad few minutes of football at this World Cup. It’s impossible to recap all of that but in a nutshell, status quo was retained. Spain go through top of the group, Portugal go through second.
FULL-TIME: IT IS ALL OVER! WHAT A MATCH! WHAT A MATCH! IRAN PLAYERS SINK TO THE FLOOR IN TEARS!
96TH MINUTE: IRAN FANS ARE BRINGING THE ROOF DOWN! SPAIN ARE BACK ON TOP OF THE GROUP! IRAN STILL GOING FORWARD
95th minute: MASSIVE CHANCE IRAN! Mehdi comes CLOSE!!! He almost breaks Portuguese hearts but is denied by the side netting. This match is going right down to the wire.
SPAIN HAVE SCORED TOO!
94TH MINUTE: IRAN HAVE SCORED! IRAN HAVE SCORED!
93rd minute: PENALTY IRAN! HANDBALL AGAINST FONTE!
SIX MINUTES OF ADDED TIME: AND WE HAVE ANOTHER VAR MOMENT FOR A PENALTY FOR IRAN!
(WE ARE JUST GOING TO KEEP THE CAPS LOCK ON)
88th minute: Free kick Portugal and the Iran GK catches well. Just to clarify a draw won’t be enough for Iran as they will be third on head-to-head with Spain being level on points.
AS IF WE HAVEN’T HAD ENOUGH EXCITEMENT: (Although this changes nothing for the group as things stand!)
83rd minute: SO. MUCH. DRAMA! The referee takes forever at the video station. Then strides out purposefully, giving a glare to Santos on his way back to the pitch, and jogs towards Ronaldo – who is looking like a kid got caught for stealing candy from the local store – and takes a card out and... it’s YELLOW!
81st minute: WELL, WELL, WELL. Are we going to see a red for Ronaldo? The referee is heading over to the TV to see if there is a possible red card for a elbow by Ronaldo. (Think he should be OK)
79th minute: Cedric slides in on Amiri as the latter tumbles over in pain. Iran have a free-kick which is lumped forward into the box but Portugal here. A word of appreciation for Pepe and Fonte, who have both been solid so far.
77th minute: Ronaldo leads a rare Portugal attack in the last few minutes, sprinting down the right but his cross is terribly underhit.
What a snap this is...
After 75 minutes, Iran 0-1 Portugal
Is the referee sending off Queiroz? Is he just admonishing him? It’s unclear. OK, just a warning then for wanting a review on a foul by William inside the box. He thought his side had won a penalty. Clearly unhappy the Iran manager.
KARIM (IN) REPLACES S. EZATOLAHI (OUT)
01:00 am: Over in the other game..
After 69 minutes, Iran 0-1 Portugal
Iran continue to try and push Portugal behind. But the final ball is missing. Goalscorer Quaresma is taken off, Bernardo Silva comes on. Jahanbaksh is, surprisingly, withdrawn by Queiroz.
WHAT A STAT THIS IS..
66th minute: CR7 cuts in from the left and lets it rip... the power is there, not the placement. Goes wide. Slams the floor in disappointment.
Meanwhile, what a story this is.
61st minute: This fixture is reaching boiling point, as Queiroz calls for calm. Quaresma with a wild lunge, exacting some retribution for earlier challenges and receives a yellow. Still 1-0 Portugal.
Here’s a look at that save! What a moment for the Iranian.
58th minute: Iran are turning on the style here. After some one-touch passing, they whip a ball low into the box, only to be cleared by Pepe.
Meanwhile, Morocco are giving Spain a run for their money in the other game. Oh soooo close! Amrabat’s brilliant shot hits the bar. Spain are on the backfoot here. Follow the game live here.
56th minute: Substitution for Iran, as Haji Safi is replaced by Mohammadi. 35 minutes for Iran to turn this around. And they have had a couple of appeals for penalties waved off. They are attacking in numbers now!
54th minute: WOW SO MUCH DRAMA. Queiroz walked away into the tunnel when the penalty was given and has now walked back onto the touchline knowing it was saved! Break in play here. We could all use a moment to get our breath back.
53rd minute: WOOWW! PENALTY SAVED! BIERANVAND DENIES RONALDO!
51st minute: PENALTY PORTUGAL! VAR comes to Portugal’s help!
50th minute: An open start to the half and we have a penalty appeal from Ronaldo and looks typically miffed when the referee says no. BUT HE WILL NOW TAKE A LOOK! VAR TIME!
ICYMI: Here’s ISCO’s goal for Spain. It’s 1-1 there.
46th minute: The second half kicks off. Can Iran come up with some goals?
12:28 am: Join us soon for the second half updates. Remember, Iran MUST win. They need two (or more) goals now and their only goal in the World Cup so far is an own goal by Morocco’s defence.
HALF-TIME UPDATES: Portugal are going to win this group, as things stand. Fernando Santos’ men went ahead through some Quaresma magic on his return to the line-up. Iran have 45 minutes to save their campaign.
Meanwhile, Diego Costa almost scored with the last touch of the half. Iniesta’s ball across the face of goal was brilliant. But Costa, somehow, couldn’t get the last touch in. And it’s 1-1 there.
Follow that game live here.
HALF-TIME, IRAN 1-0 PORTUGAL: Oh, you got to feel for Iran. They played quite brilliantly in that half but it’s been the story of their World Cup. Just like the Spain game, a heroic performance that hasn’t yielded them any points till now. Quaresma with a stunning finish to roll back the years on his return to the starting lineup.
45th minute: GOALLLLLLLLLL, PORTUGAL! QUARESMAAA! That’s a signature Quaresma finish. WHAT A STRIKE!
He’s been their most influential attacking player in the game and Quaresma puts his side in front. Cutting in from the right flank, playing a neat give and go with Silva and curling one into the top corner from the outside of his boot!
After 43 minutes Iran 0-0 Portugal
Iran’s matches, as entertaining as they have been, have also been a throwback to the 2010 World Cup with their fans preferring to use air-horns as a means of showing their support. The vuvuzelas still give us nightmares, to be perfect honest. Its not our most favourite World Cup memory.
Anyway, we digress. Quaresma has come close in the last few minutes and CR7 is more involved as Portugal finish the half strongly.
38th minute: Ronaldo strikes it hard but Beiranvand catches it comfortably. Portugal have 7 shots to Iran’s 3 but that doesn’t tell you the full picture.
After 38 minutes Iran 0-0 Portugal
More trouble for the Portugal defence as the Iran forwards combine well once again. The ball falls to them for a couple of times inside the box but they are unable to get their shots away. CR7, at the other end, is stopped in his tracks. AGAIN.
34th minute: A stop-start free-kick routine by Iran and it almost pays off! A glancing header is straight at Rui Patricio though.
33rd minute: Well, well. It has to be said, Iran are putting up quite the show at the moment. Every time they get the ball they break at pace. This time Guerrero is found wanting for speed against Jahanbaksh and ends up fouling him outside the box. Gets a YELLOW CARD For it.
After 30 minutes Iran 0-0 Portugal
Another lengthy break in play here as Jose Fonte has to be taken off for some treatment.
28th minute: Quaresma finds himself in acres of space down the right flank, darts in towards the right byline and tries a chip into the area, blocked by the first man though.
After 27 minutes Iran 0-0 Portugal
Play resumes once the physios confirm Patricio is OK to continue. Portugal have a spell of possession but nothing incisive. CR7 has been largely quiet since the early chance.
BREAKING: Major, major update from Spain v Morocco.
23rd minute: A lengthy break in play as Rui Patricio gets treatment. Azmoun played a good-looking through ball to Jahanbaksh who makes a diagonal run into the box but the Portugal GK got there ahead of him just in time! And gets a boot on his face as reward.
As it stands: Spain and Portugal going through.
21st minute: Ramin’s freekick is decent, goes over the wall and dips but missing the goalpost by a few yards.
UPDATE FROM SPAIN V MOROCCO: La Roja have equalised!
After 20 minutes, Iran 0-0 Portugal
This is an end-to-end game now with Iran suddenly upping the ante. Tackles flying in everywhere! Iran finally have a freekick at the end of that phase. This is a very, very promising position from a few yards outside the box.
17th minute: While we still deal with the fact that Spain are trailing, CR7’s free kick hits the wall and goes for a corner which is dealt with by Iran.
11;46 pm: WELL WELL WELL! What do we have here! Spain are trailing against Morocco!
After 15 minutes, Iran 0-0 Portugal
Oh Portugal are peppering the Iran box with crosses from both flanks. It’s a barrage right now! We have lost count, seriously. Beiranvand spills one of those crosses but gets away with it. One of the defenders is furious with Iran’s... defending. Couple of corners now for Portugal, and Iran deal with that as well... kind of. Adrien Silva is fouled a few yards outside the box. And it’s CR7 time!
11th minute: A good cross from Quaresma from the right flank and we witness the Ronaldo jump for the first time tonight. He rises ridiculously high! But it still goes over him.
11:42 pm: Meanwhile, a rough beginning to the game between Spain and Morocco. Follow the game live here.
9th minute: Oh dear, misunderstanding between the Iran GK and Ezatolahi as they both go for a cross and neither deal with it, Joao Mario can chip into an empty net if he composed himself but he blasts it wide. Big argument between the GK and defender after that.
6th minute: Lovely move Iran! A wonderfully constructed counter that begins in their own half. Azmoun with a give and go at the center, finding Jahanbaksh down the right.. he cuts it back for the onrushing Amiri who has a go at goal but gets it horribly wrong. He makes the “focus” sign to himself after that. A bit more compsure and that was a lovely chance to test Rui Patricio.
3rd minute: It has taken all of 130 seconds for CR7 to make his presence felt in this game. A lovely move by Portugal down the left and the captain breaks into the box with a sudden burst of pace, dribbles past, cuts in and lets it rip –- straight at the goalkeeper though. Great intensity early on from the Europeans.
1st minute: We have kickoff! India’s GK is backing Iran... just not enough to go through, however.
11:27 pm: National anthems done in both games. Head over here for the live updates on Spain vs Morocco.
#OnThisDay: In 2006...
11:25 pm: 25th June has been interesting for Portugal, historically. Quaresma remembers the date with some fondness. Two years ago on this day, the winger scored the extra-time goal that sent Portugal through to the quarters of Euro 2016. It was also on this day 12 years ago that Portugal beat Netherlands 1-0 in a match infamously known as the ‘Battle of Nuremberg’. 4 red cards, 16 yellow cards, pure mayhem on that night!
11:23 pm: For Portugal, this tournament has been about one man. While they have defended largely decently as a team, going forward there has not been too much help for CR7. Can he do it again tonight? He has Silva alongside him tonight and not Guedes.
Teams are out on the pitch now... as the commentator points out, a nervous looking Portugal coach Santos. Hmm.
11:20 pm: Portugal have met Asian sides on four occasions at the World Cup finals, and they have won three so far. Their only defeat came (famously or infamously, depending on your viewpoint) against Korea Republic in 2002, while one of those wins is the classic encounter in 1966 against North Korea when Eusebio sensationally took them from 3-0 down to 5-3 up with four goals.
11:14 pm: A reminder of the scenarios. A win or a draw in the other game will see Spain reach the knockout round. A Morocco win (as unlikely as it may be) will leave them in a very nervous state. Ditto for Portugal against Iran (a defeat ends their tournament).
Follow that match live here.
11:09 pm: STAT ALERT
Iran coach Carlos Queiroz will be the 20th coach in World Cup history to face off against his home country, according to Fifa.com. The first was Josef Nagy, who led Sweden against Hungary in 1938. Notably, in 2002, Frenchman Bruno Metsu led Senegal to victory over then defending champions France – a match that made Papa Bouba Diop a famous name across the footballing world.
11:03 pm: Team changes, just to catch you up... Portugal have shuffled the side up with three changes, while Iran start with the exciting Jahanbaksh.
For Portugal: - IN: Andre Silva, Adrien Silva, Quaresma; OUT: Moutinho, Bernardo Silva, Guedes
For Iran: - IN: Jahanbakhsh; OUT: Ansarifard
10:56 pm: This fixture has a special in CR7’s career. It was back at the 2006 World Cup against Iran that a young, maverick Cristiano scored his first ever World Cup goal. Can he add to his tally tonight?
10:50 pm: Iran can take plenty of heart from their performances so far. They have showed over 180 minutes against Spain and Morocco that they can withstand wave after wave of attacks, and if needed, can produce a moment of quality at the other end.
And tonight, it might all come down to that.
10:45 pm: Unlucky to return empty-handed from the match against Spain, Iran can still dream.
“We showed that we were ready to suffer and ready to compete,” Queiroz said after the Spain match. “I felt we deserved a better result. There’s no doubt Spain play wonderful, stylish football but I thought we deserved more for the way we played. But congratulations to Fernando Hierro and Spain. We will learn a lot from this game. If you think of it like tennis, we had one match point today and we will have another against Portugal. Everything is still open. We are still alive and still dreaming.”
And that’s the key – to dream. Up against Portugal in the final game, they might not have to withstand a barrage on their goal but they will be facing Cristiano Ronaldo. Find a way to keep him quiet and a smash-and-grab win is not completely out of the question. Stranger things have happened in football.
Read more here.
10:35 pm: The teams were confirmed a little while back... here are the confirmed playing XIs.
(Graphic: @FIFAWorldCup)
10:25 pm: It’ll be a special night for Carlos Queiroz, the Iran coach, who was also at the helm of Portugal a few years back, most notably during the 2010 World Cup. The Portuguese gaffer would love to pull off a miracle against his native country.
10:20 pm: As part of Iran’s strategy to stop CR7 tonight (perhaps not), their fans took it upon themselves to stop Portugal’s main man from.... wait for it... sleeping! Several hundred Iranian fans spent hours outside the hotel where the Portugal team is based in an attempt to disrupt their sleep ahead of their side’s crucial match with the European champions later on Monday, Associated Press reported.
Read more here.
10:10 pm: A quick look at the scenarios.
This is how Group B stands. Spain *SHOULD* win against Morocco who have been eliminated. Assuming that’s the case, a Portugal win will bring it down to goal difference to decide who finishes first. An Iran win... well, that will send shockwaves through the footballing world. A drawn between Iran and Portugal will see CR7 and Co go through.
10:05 pm: Hello all and welcome to The Field’s live blog of the final set of matches from Group B. It’s Iran against Portugal as Carlos Queiroz, the former Portugal manager, goes up against Cristiano Ronaldo and Co in a reunion of sorts. Can he and Iran stun the Portuguese and sneak into the playoffs? It’s a long, long shot but hey, stranger things have happened.