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Argentina required heroics from Lionel Messi as the talismanic forward scored an injury-time winner to secure qualification from World Cup Group F.
The Barcelona man bent home a decisive goal in the dying embers of a match in which the hard-working Iranians did enough to take all three points themselves.
Both goalkeepers looked to be unbeatable as Sergio Aguero had Argentina's best chance and Reza Ghoochannejhad came close on more than one occasion for the underdogs, who also saw a strong penalty claim turned down as they slipped to a 1-0 loss.
It was a cruel result for Iran who had defended doggedly against Argentina's much-vaunted attack but like so many other sides before they could not quite stop Messi.
So how did each player get on in the closely fought tie?
Click on the gallery below to find out.
Show all 22 1 /22Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Sergio Romero – 8 Wouldn't have expected to have such a busy afternoon but stood up to the challenge admirably. Courtesy of a number of excellent saves, Romero is the reason why Iran didn’t take a shock lead.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Pablo Zabaleta – 6 Didn’t show the same ability going forward which British audiences have grown accustomed to. Left Gago and Messi without back-up on occasions also.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Ezequiel Garay - 6 Started well but looked incredibly nervous as the Iranian momentum built. This frailty almost cost Garay and Argentina very dearly indeed.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Federico Fernandez – 6 Like Garay, Fernandez looked nervous in the latter stages as Iran picked up the pace. Can’t afford to do the same against a more reputable side.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Marcos Rojo – 7 Bursting forward at every given opportunity, Rojo was one of the few Argentine players to truly shine for the full match. His deliveries from the left wing caused problems throughout.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Javier Mascherano – 6 Positioned just in front of the back four, the former Liverpool midfielder allowed far too many Iranian passes through the defensive net. Could have been the reason for a decidedly different outcome if luck was on Iran’s side.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Fernando Gago - 7 Strived to drag his side back into the game on many occasions and very nearly did so. Showed the passion required to break down such a stubborn opponent.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Angel Di Maria - 6 Was ineffective for large stretches of the game but, as always, proved to be a threat from set-pieces. Needed to show more desire in open play.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Sergio Aguero – 6.5 Worked hard for much of the game and was unlucky not to get on the score sheet. The Manchester City man had a decent, if unremarkable, game.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Gonzalo Higuain - 5 Hardly noticeable for much of the match, the Napoli striker was later subbed. A poor afternoon.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Lionel Messi - 8 Having struggled to make his mark on the game for ninety minutes, Messi did what he has been doing for the best part of the last decade. What would Argentina do without him? A sumptuous goal worthy of winning any game.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Alireza Haghighi - 7 Wasn’t called upon nearly as much as he would have expected but was a reassuring figure at the back. Could do nothing about Messi’s late strike.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Pejman Montazeri - 7 Like his defensive counterparts, Montarezi was bitterly unlucky not to have a clean sheet against Argentina to tell his grandchildren about. A fine display.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Jalal Hosseini - 7.5 Unlucky not to score on a number of occasions, Hosseini was a threat every time he ventured forward.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Amirhossein Sadeghi - 7 One of the centre-backs charged with man-marking Messi, Sadeghi was a credit to his teammates and very nearly helped them to keep a famous clean sheet.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Mehrdad Pooladi - 7 With Messi, Higuain and Aguero to deal with, Poladi was magnificent at left-back. Strong into the tackle and ambitious going forward, this was an exciting display.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Masoud Shojaei - 6.5 Playing just behind the excellent Ghoochannejad, the ball sometimes missed Shojaei along the way but his work rate was clear for all to see.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Andranik Teymourian - 6.5 Gave possession away poorly on a few occasions but, like all of his teammates, kept running until the very end.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Javad Nekounam - 7 In the heart of the Iranian midfield, Nekounam was responsible for a wide range of counter attacks which very nearly paid off for Iran. An essential player who almost made all the difference.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Ehsan Hajsafi - 7 A menace on the counter attack, the man from Sepahan in the Iran Pro League did his job well today. Will maybe even have European scouts taking a second look too.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Reza Ghoochannejhad - 8 A warrior in attack for Iran, the Charlton Athletic striker is so unfortunate not to have a goal from today’s clash. Making Romero work for his cap today, this was a fantastic display.
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Argentina 1 Iran 0 player ratings Ashkan Dejagah - 8 While some Fulham fans blamed Dejagah’s over-exuberance for their subsequent relegation last season, it did nothing but push Iran onto nearly claiming one of the biggest scalps in World Cup history.
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