Worst VAR decision of World Cup 2018 awards Iran late penalty but Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo survive

• Portugal have progressed from the group stage of the World Cup for the fourth time in their history (also 1966, 2006 and 2010).
• Iran have been eliminated from the group stage at the World Cup in all five tournaments they’ve competed in (1978, 1998, 2006, 2014 and 2018).
• Both of Iran’s goals at the 2018 World Cup were scored in injury time (94:06 against Morocco, 92:48 against Portugal).
• Portugal’s Ricardo Quaresma (34y 272d) is the oldest player to score on his first World Cup start since Yahya Golmohammadi (35y 84d), who did so for Iran in 2006 against Mexico.
• Iran are the second Asian nation in World Cup history to have won their first match at a World Cup but be eliminated at the group stage, after South Korea in 2006.
• Two of Cristiano Ronaldo’s three penalties at the World Cup for Portugal have been against Iran – he scored in 2006 but saw his effort saved in this game.
• Cristiano Ronaldo has a 50% penalty success rate in major tournaments for Portugal, scoring two (against Iran and Spain at the World Cups in 2006 and 2018 respectively) but also failing with two (against Austria at Euro 2016 and Iran today).
• Iran remain winless in eight World Cup matches against European opposition (D2 L6).
• Iran’s goal – scored after 92 minutes and 48 seconds – was the latest goal Portugal have ever conceded at the World Cup.
• Portugal have never lost a World Cup match when they’ve scored first (W13 D3).

Pablo Zabaleta is furious in the studio and says the VAR issues ruined the second half. It really was VAR at its worst - both penalty decisions looked wrong and now all we're talking about is the refereeing decisions rather than anything any of the players did.

 Zabaleta genuinely looks so upset. 

That was pretty farcical (VAR-cical?) but how would you get on as the VAR? Play our interactive game to find out. 

Where on earth do you start with that? Ronaldo missed a penalty and could have been sent off, Iran were awarded a late penalty that should never have been given, and they could have won it at the death with a glorious chance. 

The final whistle goes and it finishes Iran 1 Portugal 1. What a game, so much incident. The managers confront each other at the final whistle but end up hugging. 

Iran are out; Portugal finish second in the group and will play Russia in the last 16. Blimey, what a ridiculous match. 

Oh my Iran should score again! But Amiri puts a glorious chance from about eight yards out wide. Spain have equalised against Morocco so that would have sent Iran through. Portugal are second in the group as it stands. 

Ansarifard nails the penalty into the keeper's top left-hand corner. 

This would be very harsh on Cedric but the fact that the referee has given it! Oh my word, would you believe it?! That did not look like a penalty.  

VAR is consulted again about a possible handball against Cedric that would mean a penalty for Iran.

Six minutes to be added on...

Ronaldo cleverly draws a foul from Hosseini, who absolutely loved giving the Portugal captain a sly little kick. 

Portugal make their final change - Moutinho on for Joao Mario. 

Meanwhile, Spain are losing 2-1 to Morocco! A couple of goals for Iran here would send them through. 

This is very borderline, but there is enough there to send Ronaldo off. It's more of an elbow, but there's certainly contact. Ronaldo looks on nervously...what's the referee decided? It's a yellow card. Blimey, a nation had its heart in its collective mouth there.

Iran's players are furious, claiming that Ronaldo has punched Pouraliganji. VAR is being consulted! Oh my, this would be huge if he sent Ronaldo off! 

Portugal's game management here has been poor. They're not keeping the ball and inviting needless pressure on themselves by giving the ball away sloppily. 

Adrien Silva has another wild effort from range that flies high into the stands. 

...no penalty. Queiroz responds with his final change - Ansarif comes on for Ezatolahi. 

Queiroz is asking for VAR to be consulted after Sardar goes down under challenge from Carvalho. And VAR is being consulted...

Good effort from the substitute Ghoddos, who works a yard on the edge of the box but just drags his shot a few feet wide. 

One of the Silvas - Adrien - tries his luck from about 30 yards out, but it flies way over the bar. 

Both teams make a change. Man City's Bernardo Silva replaces the goalscorer Quaresma for Portugal. Ghoddos replaces Jahanbakhsh for Iran. 

Three Silvas on the pitch now for Portugal. 

Ronaldo weaves his way past a couple of Iranian defenders but is slightly off balance when he gets a shot off that skews well wide. It's quite funny to think how angry Ronaldo will be that he hasn't scored tonight. 

Quaresma has completely lost his head. He lunges into Ezatolahi and escapes with just a booking. Moments earlier Quaresma had been on the receiving end of a late tackle (not the one where he did the looking for blood trick). Retribution was definitely on his mind there.  

Quaresma milks the tiniest bit of contact and goes down clutching his face pretending to look for blood. Can I shock you? There is no blood. 

Only once in Iran's history have they scored twice in a World Cup game (against the USA in 1998). They need to do that here or they are heading home.  

Pepe does brilliantly to clear Mehdi's low cross from about six yards out. Portugal suddenly looking nervy. They should be out of sight. 

Iran want a penalty as Sardar collapses to the ground in the penalty area with Fonte close by. Nothing in that. 

Queiroz then makes a change at left-back: Mohammadi on for the captain Safi who was booked only a few minutes ago for disputing the penalty. 

In amongst all of that Safi and Sardar have been booked for Iran, and Queiroz has entered the pitch to try and clam his players down. Tempers fraying in Saransk. 

Ronaldo is denied! His penalty is saved by Beiranvand down to his left. A really poor penalty and Iran survive!  

The referee Enrique Caceres has given it! That looked very soft indeed but a penalty it is for Ezatolahi's foul on Ronaldo.

Ronaldo will take.  

Is that a penalty? Ronaldo falls to the ground with Ezatolahi in close proximity but the referee waves the appeals away. It looked to be the correct decision but wait just a minute, the VAR has told the ref to go and have a second look on the monitor. 

As it stands, Iran need to score twice to qualify. They're still set up to sit deep and try and spring their opponents on the break. 

We're back under way in Saransk. No changes for either side at half-time. 

Iran have played really well but they were powerless to stop a moment of absolute genius from Quaresma, whose goal with the outside of his right boot separates the sides. 

As it stands Portugal are top of Group B and will play Russia in the last 16. Iran must score and hope Spain concede if they are to go through (or score twice themselves and render what happens in the Spain game irrelevant). 

After being frustrated for most of the half, Portugal go in at half-time a goal to the good and - coupled with Spain drawing 1-1 with Morrocco - top of the group. 

We're playing three minutes of added on time. 

Oh my, that is absolutely sensational! Quaresma plays a one-two with Adrien Silva and with the outside of his right boot bends a magnificent effort into the top corner from about 25 yards out. That is one of the goals of the tournament! 

Ronaldo tries to win a corner down the Portugal left but ends up succeeding only in chesting the ball out of play. That rather sums up Portugal's half. 

A bit more purpose from Portugal ends with Quaresma improvising an outside of the boot shot from about 10 yards out. The effort flies over the bar from a tight angle. 

Ronaldo tries his luck from about 35 yards. It's a decent effort but is slightly deflected and ends up straight down Beiranvand's throat. 

Another Iran half-chance. They have a real threat on the counter but Amiri misplaces a pass meant for Omid just inside the box. 

Iran have been brilliant and their supporters superb. But please: enough with the vuvuzelas. 

Jahanbakhsh delivers the free-kick, which Hosseini meets with a powerful near-post header that unfortunately for him is straight at Patricio. 

Guerreiro, who was exposed in the first couple of games, is booked after scything down Jahanbakhsh. It came from another really pacy, purposeful Iranian break, and it's a free kick in a dangerous position out wide on the right. 

A clash of heads at a Portugal corner sees Fonte and Sardar looking a little groggy. Thankfully both look ok to carry on. 

More diligent work from Iran ends with the striker Sardar nipping in to win the ball back and then winning a free-kick off William Carvalho. Portugal look increasingly frustrated. 

Iran are sitting very deep, and Portugal are struggling to find any space. Ronaldo tries to slip in Andre Silva but he's comfortably offside. 

Iran look dangerous again, but Amiri can't quite latch on to Omid's through ball. Amiri inadvertently catches Patricio as he goes for the ball, and the Portugal goalkeeper is down receiving treatment. He'll be fine. 

It's a decent effort from Ramin but it flies a few feet wide of Patricio's goal. 

Spain have equalised through Isco, so Spain now lead Group B. Meanwhile Adrien Silva gives away a free-kick in a dangerous area for pulling down Safi. Dangerous position for Iran. 

Spain trailing Morocco 1-0 means Portugal are top of the group as it stands. 

Adrien Silva wins a free-kick about 25 yards out, just to the right of the goal. Ronaldo fancies it but smashes his shot into the wall. He appeals for a handball but to no avail. Nothing in that. 

Portugal win a couple of corners and unsurprisingly stick them right under Beiranvand's crossbar. He deals with them a bit more comfortably. 

Meanwhile in Kaliningrad, Morocco have taken a shock lead against Spain. As it stands, Spain will still be going through but an Iran goal here would send them packing.  

Iran's goalkeeper Beiranvand comes flapping out at Quaresma's cross and gets nowhere near it. Thankfully for him Hosseini is there to hack the ball away. Moments later, Beiranvand completely spills another Quaresma cross, but again his defenders mop up the danger. Horrible moments for Beiranvand. 

What a mix-up that is! Beiranvand is absolutely furious after Ezatolahi seemingly ignores his goalkeeper's shout and clears Adrien Silva's cross straight to Joao Mario. Joao Mario should do better but blazes an effort over the bar from the edge of the area. Beiranvand shoves Ezatolahi in the chest in frustration. 

Lovely to see. 

Iran break really cleverly, but Amiri makes a mess of his shot from the edge of the box after arriving late and latching onto Mehdi's square pass. Decent opening for Iran, who up until then had barely gotten out of their half.

Andre Silva gets bundled to the ground by Ramin near the touchline but the referee waves play on. Iran very physical early on, as we expected them to be. 

Early shot from Ronaldo. He bustles his way into the box and pings a shot off from about 12 yards out that Beiranvand does well to hold onto. 

Guerreiro is chopped to the ground by Omid in what is a real 'welcome to the game challenge'.  Iran clear the resulting free-kick. Huge noise from the Iran supporters. 

We're under way in Saransk. Iran will qualify with a win; Portugal need just a point to go through, and to better Spain's result to top the group. 

The group winners play Russia in the last 16; the runners up will play Uruguay. 

A reminder of the teams for this one. 

Iran (4-3-2-1): Beiranvand; Ramin, Hosseini, Pouraliganji, Safi; Jahanbakhsh, Ezatolahi, Omid; Mehdi, Amiri; Sardar

Portugal (4-4-2): Patricio; Cedric, Pepe, Fonte, Guerreiro; William Carvalho, Adrien, Joao Mario, Quaresma; Andre Silva, Ronaldo.

It's a sell-out crowd at the Mordovia Arena, as the two sides belt out their respective national anthems. Iran look to have by far the majority of the fans inside the stadium. 

Now pay attention 007, because this is a little Silva-heavy.

Andre Silva, Adrien Silva and Ricardo Quaresma come in, while Goncalo Guedes, Bernardo Silva and Joao Moutinho drop to the bench. Iran replace Karim Ansarifard with Alireza Jahanbakhsh.

Ricardo Quaresma replaces him. Portugal remember are almost certainly out if they lose here. 

Who's going to win tonight? Let our clever machine tell you based on what you think the most important factors will be.