Carlos Queiroz said Iran may have won their World Cup ‘final’ against Morocco on Friday but he already has his sights set on a “Universe Cup final” against Spain. Iran have emerged as the early challengers to Spain and Portugal in Group B after Aziz Bouhaddouz’s 95th-minute own-goal sealed a dramatic 1-0 win in Saint Petersburg. It was only Iran’s second World Cup victory in the country’s history and means Queiroz’s side head into their clash against La Roja on Wednesday with momentum and hope. “If the game against Morocco was the World Cup final for us, the game against Spain will be the Universe Cup final,” Queiroz said.
Iran’s build-up to this tournament had not been smooth. Nike had blocked the players’ supply of boots only four days before their opening game while further back, friendlies against Greece and Kosovo were cancelled. “It was not a miracle that we won,” Queiroz said. “Superman is only in the cartoons. Nobody is superman. “What can happen once in a while is a group of people, when they are united, we can create super stories and super things. Our attitiude is to try and make the impossible, possible.” Queiroz, once of Real Madrid and Manchester United, insisted the chaos that has engulfed Spain this week offered no boost to his team’s chances, but this victory certainly cranks the pressure up a notch.