TEHRAN – Iran’s girls’ futsal team suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 defeat to Venezuela in the semifinals of the 2026 Youth Olympic Games on Sunday, missing out on a place in the gold medal match.
In a thrilling encounter at the Dakar Games, Iran fought back from behind to level the score at 2-2, with Hadis Yari scoring both goals. However, Venezuela had the final say, finding the decisive goal with just 43 seconds remaining in extra time to secure a dramatic victory.
Both sides delivered an intense performance, battling fiercely until the closing moments in a match filled with excitement and emotion.
The result sends Venezuela through to the final, where they will compete for the gold medal. Iran, meanwhile, will face the loser of the other semifinal between Italy and Ukraine in Tuesday’s bronze medal match, hoping to finish the tournament on a high note.