Iran seal their place at World Cup for 3rd time in row

ANKARA

Iran on Thursday became the latest team to secure a spot in the 2022 World Cup with a 1-0 win against Iraq in the qualifiers.

Porto forward Mehdi Taremi's goal at Azadi Stadium in Tehran helped Iran seal their place in the tournament for the third straight time.

With three matches left, Iran are atop Group A with 19 points, two points ahead of second-place South Korea.

Iran will compete in the World Cup for the sixth time following appearances in 1978, 1998, 2006, 2014 and 2018.