Switzerland faces Iran—or possibly Algeria—in Vancouver World Cup match July 2
BC Place will host a knockout Round of 32 match after group stage concludes Saturday. Switzerland has secured their spot; Iran has a 92% chance of being their opponent.
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Switzerland will play a Round of 32 match at BC Place on July 2, facing either Iran or Algeria depending on Saturday's group-stage results.
Switzerland clinched their spot in the knockout round by finishing ahead of Canada and winning Group B. Their opponent will be a third-place qualifier determined by a complicated FIFA formula.
Iran currently has a 92 percent likelihood of advancing to face Switzerland, according to The Athletic. Algeria could still qualify, but only if all three of these results occur on Saturday: Algeria draws or beats Austria, Croatia draws or beats Ghana (or Panama beats England by 2+ goals), and either DR Congo beats Uzbekistan or Uzbekistan beats DR Congo by 7+ goals.
Iran's path to Vancouver comes after a difficult World Cup in the United States. The team has faced restrictions imposed by the U.S. government, including limited time in the country before and after matches and denial of entry for many support staff members. Iran's coach, Amir Ghalenoei, called his team "the most oppressed" at the tournament. Team captain Mehdi Taremi described it as a "disaster World Cup" on Friday.