Shoja Khalilzadeh

ANALYSIS
Khalilzadeh became the central figure of one of the group stage's most dramatic moments when he fired what appeared to be a 93rd minute winner against Egypt from a rebound at the back post, only for VAR to rule it out for offside by the slimmest of margins. It left Iran with a 1-1 draw and an anxious wait on their fate that ended in elimination. Away from that painful moment he was a commanding presence throughout as Iran's undisputed starter, accumulating six tackles, three interceptions, 28 clearances and five blocks across the group stage as Iran kept one clean sheet and conceded just three goals.