Match report
What, really, were the emotions flowing through the veins of Iran’s players as they took the pitch in Los Angeles? A few hours earlier Donald Trump, in France before the G7 summit, said a peace deal had been signed. A penny for the thoughts, too, of the Fifa president up in the VIP seats, Gianni Infantino, who in effect admitted he was powerless to prevent Iran from the chaos that has overshadowed their participation.
Finally, then, for 101 minutes against New Zealand at least, Iran’s players were able to focus on the football, just as their head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, vowed they would. Goals from Mohammad Mohebbi and Ramin Rezaeian cancelled out a smart Elijah Just double. The cue of a partisan crowd provided the kind of joy Iran captain Mehdi Taremi conceded had been missing in recent months.
Updated
New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley can’t hide his pride as he speaks about the performance and result that might have finished with much more after his side twice took the lead in a 2-2 draw with Iran.
I’m extremely proud of the players. The work rate and we created loads of chances. I thought we were really, really good in possession, defended pretty well for the majority. And we’ve come off disappointed to not win a game because we’re leading twice, scored two great goals, had some moments, which was really good.
It’s going to be a little bit bittersweet because we had a chance to make history tonight and win a game at a World Cup. And we came really close, we didn’t lose. We kept in it and played really, really well. So proud.
Updated
New Zealand can take plenty from this performance into their next game against Egypt in Vancouver (while Iran will return to Los Angeles to face Belgium). The All Whites’ most promising signs were in the link-up play involving centre-forward Chris Wood and the clinical Eli Just. The winger explains what it means to back up his stellar form in the Scottish Premiership and score a double against Iran.
It’s really, really special. We had a lot of goals coming into this tournament and the first was to get on the board. So one point is OK and there are a lot of positives that we can keep building on.
It [scoring] is not something I could have even dreamed of. I’m so happy. One was nice and then two is just amazing.
We know that we have a tough group. We all watched the Egypt-Belgium game, we know how strong they are. So we’ve got a lot of work to do … We’ve been together for a long time. We were unfortunate to miss out on the last World Cup. So being here today was such an amazing feeling. And to start with a point, I think everybody is happy, but it could have been better.
Updated
The World Cup day ends with four draws from as many matches – the first time so many teams have earned a point together since 1958. A reminder of how the other games finished, though I doubt any of them could have been as memorable as Iran and New Zealand’s clash:
-
Spain 0-0 Cape Verde
-
Belgium 1-1 Egypt
-
Saudi Arabia 1-1 Uruguay
-
Iran 2-2 New Zealand
Updated
New Zealand twice took the lead – both times through Eli Just with Chris Wood providing the assist – but it would be hard to argue that Iran did not deserve a share of the points in a rollicking contest. Ramin Rezaeian levelled the scores in the 32nd minute while Mohammad Mohebi scored the next equaliser for Iran in the 64th minute.
Both sides pressed hard for a winner from there with Iran edging New Zealand for chances in the second half and ending the match with 17-14 total shots, though the All Whites had more on target with 8-4. It’s all even in Group G with Belgium and Egypt also drawing earlier in the day.
Updated
Full time: Iran 2-2 New Zealand
A hugely entertaining clash ends without a loser as the two sides are forced to settle for a draw.
Updated
90+5 min The cross goes deep and beyond the far post where Iran when the first header and knock it back in front of goal. Ryan Thomas is in the perfect spot to dive and clear the danger off the back of his head.
90+4 min Both sides are still searching for a last-gasp winner though much of the pace has gone out of the tired legs. A late corner for Iran might well decide the game.
Updated
90+2 min New Zealand swing more changes with the ball in their final third as the clock ticks down. Wood gets a header away under extreme pressure but can’t get enough on it while falling backwards.
90 min New Zealand release the pressure to launch a counterattack. Eli Just threatens to sprint on to the ball with only the Iran goalkeeper in the attacking half before Ehsan Hajsafi steps in with a timely tackle that earns the first yellow card of the game. Five minutes of added time to come.
Updated
89 min Iran are on top with all the pressure mounting in their attacking third but the New Zealand defence is now banked up and compact in the penalty area.
87 min Saeid Ezatolahi has sprung to life and takes a shot from outside the penalty area. There isn’t enough power behind the strike and Crocombe barely has to move to collect the ball in the air.
86 min A hot ball is delivered into a mass of bodies in the penalty area were Saeid Ezatolahi picks up the ricochet. A shot sails over the bar.
Updated
84 min Shoja Khalilzadeh collapses to the turf after a collision with Chris Wood. The Iran defender appeared to initiate the contact as Wood turned his back at the last moment and collected Khalilzadeh with his shoulder. VAR considers whether to intervene but nothing comes from the review.
Updated
82 min The contest has become much tighter with the final whistle now not too far away.
Updated
80 min A substitution surprise as Mehdi Taremi comes from the field to be replaced by the in-form goalscorer Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh. The Iran captain had showed signs of an issue with his calf but looks most displeased with the call to remove him from the action.
Updated
78 min Payne makes way for Callan Elliot after putting in a shift against the Iran’s pacey attackers.
76 min Tim Payne controls the danger zone as Mehdi Ghayedi looks to sprint past him and into sight of goal. The New Zealand defender wins the ball back then, using all his experience and guile, goes to ground to earn a free kick.
75 min New Zealand work the ball down the left channel but the cross fails to pick out Chris Wood standing in the middle of a sea of white Iran shirts.
Updated
73 min New Zealand had their backs to the wall leading into the second hydration break but have looked the brighter since the restart without creating anything of note.
Updated
71 min All Whites goalkeeper Max Crocombe starts the final quarter of the game as we wait to see which side, if either, can keep their foot down.
68 min New Zealand make their first substitutions with Ryan Thomas and attacker Ben Old entering the game in place of Callum McCowatt and Liberato Cacace. Time for a hydration break and a well-deserved breather in Los Angeles and at Guardian Towers.
66 min Iran keep pushing as New Zealand keeper Max Crocombe is forced into another save.
Updated
Saman Ghoddos leaves the pitch on a high after setting up Mohammad Mohebi for Iran’s equaliser. Veteran defender Ehsan Hajsafi takes his place.
GOAL! Iran 2-2 New Zealand (Mohebi 64)
Mohammad Mohebi finds space just in front of the penalty spot to rocket a free header into the bottom corner. It was all made possible by an early and sublime cross from Saman Ghoddos.
Updated
61 min New Zealand continue to threaten with balls sent into Chris Wood’s feet and their other attackers looking to link up. Singh sprints past the centre-forward this time and quickly gets a shot away that picks out the well-placed keeper Beiranvand.
59 min Mehdi Taremi bursts into the penalty area with a well-timed run into space. But his cross to an onrushing Ali Alipour is blocked and New Zealand clear the danger.
Updated
58 min Tim Payne sends Mehdi Ghayedi to the turf with a well-time challenge. The social media sensation is giving a warning but the yellow card stays in the referee’s pocket.
Updated
57 min Iran were quick to respond when going behind during the first half and do much the same after Just’s second goal of the game. A goalmouth scramble allows Iran a pair of hurried shots but keeper Max Crocombe stands tall to block the second and quickly parries the ball to safety.
Eli Just surges into the final third with space in front of him and to his right then knocks the ball into Chris Wood’s feet while he continues his run. Wood turns on all his experience as a centre-forward to tap the ball back into Just’s direction and the All Whites attacker makes no mistake with a shot across the keeper.
Updated
GOAL! Iran 1-2 New Zealand (Just 55)
Eli Just has his second goal of the game and Chris Wood his second assist as the All Whites reclaim the lead.
Updated
53 min Shahriar Moghanloo makes ways for another attacker in Ali Alipour. Moghanloo was on the wrong side of a few knocks in the first half and appeared to be playing under some duress. Alipour makes his presence felt immediately with a foul.
51 min Ramin Rezaeian hammers a corner into a dangerous area at the near post but New Zealand defenders close it down.
Updated
49 min Correction as Mehdi Ghayedi has replaced Aria Yousefi at half time for Iran. The attacker is straight into the action with a blocked shot.
47 min The second half already looks like a repeat of the first as New Zealand pick out Chris Wood in a dangerous area then Iran quickly launch a counterattack. A moment later the ball is back with Wood to take a speculative shot from outside the box. Wow! Grab a cuppa, or perhaps something stronger, and sit back to enjoy the ride …
Updated
46 min No half-time changes on either side as Iran make New Zealand wait before getting the second half under way.
Updated
While the Iran team continue to divide opinion just by taking to the field, it has been hard to look away from the action during their first half against New Zealand. “Been following mbm and watching what I can from San Antonio, TX, and have to say, it’s truly rare to see so-called minnows biting at sharks, and rather enjoyable,” Sam MB says. “Long may this continue, and ice your wrists when you can, this one’s a banger!” Pleased to hear that Sam MB can feel my pain from the other side of the globe – but no complaints for sore wrists here.
There have been mixed reactions from Iran fans at Los Angeles Stadium and diaspora around the globe. Here are some thoughts from Karen in Iran …
“Most Iranians, myself included, were hoping that this war, as bad as it was, would bring an end to this oppressive regime. Think how desperate a nation we must be to put all our hopes in the hands of Trump! Well it didn’t quite work out that way and the regime’s still around; with January’s massive killing of protesters still fresh in our memories.
“Younger generation don’t really care much about Iranian football. We used to love being in the World Cup. I remember all the celebrations from my first World Cup in 1998. 2022’s version was right in the middle of our “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement and now this one is right in the middle of the war. To put simply, very very few people actually care about this national team.”
The noise inside Los Angeles Stadium suggests Iran have their fair share of supporters in North America at least.
Updated
Much of the buildup for Iran and New Zealand’s match was understandably on the Asian nation’s conflict with the US and Israel, and whether or how the team would be able to reach Los Angeles Stadium for their World Cup opener. Alexander Abnos was on hand as the Iran national anthem was loudly jeered by a large portion of the crowd – enough to be audible throughout – though said there seemed to be just as many singing, and the end of it was greeted with a swell of noise.
From there the football did all the talking as both sides set out to attack and delivered an enthralling first half filled with end-to-end action. New Zealand have had more chances with nine shots (five on target), while Iran have had seven shots (two on target). Possession is almost as even as the score with Iran ahead 46-42% (and the ball contested 12% of the time), though that is in part due to the All Whites being happy to lob early crosses to targetman Chris Wood.
Half time: Iran 1-1 New Zealand
Aaaand breathe! A frenetic first half comes to a close with Iran and New Zealand level and surely more goals to come in the second half with both teams chasing the game.
Updated
45+5 min Ali Nemati has the ball in the back of the net with a pinpoint header into the bottom corner. But the Iran defender had set off long before Ramin Rezaeian delivered a free kick into the penalty area. The flag goes up immediately for offside and the VAR check is barely worth considering.
Updated
45+3 min New Zealand have been finishing the first half stronger but Iran nudge the ball forward through a series of throw-ins. A long throw is sent into the six-yard where a flicked header sails over keeper Max Crocombe and on to the top of the net.
45+1 min New Zealand find space in the final third where Wood picks out Callum McCowatt in space on the right. The attack swings on to his favoured left boot but can’t get enough power into the shot. There will be six minutes of added time.
Updated
45 min Wood hooks the ball around the wall but there is not enough behind the free kick from long range and Beiranvand collects comfortably.
Updated
44 min New Zealand build and rebuild nicely from the back as they work their way down the left side. Shoja Khalilzadeh arrives late into a challenge on Liberato Cacace and Chris Wood lines up for a shot from the left side of the penalty area.
42 min Iran have an eye on half time with New Zealand allowed extra time on the ball in their own half.
Updated
40 min New Zealand press the Iran defence with the ball sent skyward in their own attacking half. A clash of heads leaves Mohammad Mohebi on the turf and needing attention.
39 min New Zealand move the ball through midfield with ease as Iran settle back and are content to see an early cross to sent toward Chris Wood. The attacker is outnumbered three-to-one inside the penalty area.
Updated
37 min A rare moment of calm on the pitch in Los Angeles as New Zealand pass the ball around their defensive line.
34 min New Zealand hardly needed to be sparked back to life but they are the first to attack after the restart with Wood again at the centre of the action.
A goal befitting an electrifying contest springs out of the chaos. Shahriar Moghanloo was the first to pick up the ball in a penalty-area scramble and get a shot away from close range but a blocked shot left it to Ramin Rezaeian to level the scores.
Updated
GOAL! Iran 1-1 New Zealand (Rezaeian 32)
Ramin Rezaeian levels for Iran when pouncing on to a loose ball after Shahriar Moghanloo’s shot is blocked.
Updated
30 min The end-to-end action continues with Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand forced into a diving save before a shot sails over the New Zealand goal.
28 min The game picks up where it left off with Iran straight back into attack. Max Crocombe’s clearance is blocked by Mohammad Mohebi who collapses to ground grabbing at an ankle. VAR check whether there was sufficient contact inside the penalty area but the review is waved away.
Updated
New Zealand lead 1-0 against Iran as we reach the hydration break. The game has more than lived up to its billing as one of the must-watch matches of the group stage with chances at both ends and Eli Just fifth goal in his past six competitive matches for the All Whites separating the sides.
Updated
22 min Mehdi Taremi slams a shot into the post! Iran stream forward with a three-on-two against the New Zealand defence and the ball at their captain’s feet. Taremi fires away from outside the penalty area, beats the diving goalkeeper Max Crocombe and is only denied by the right post.
Updated
20 min Iran take control in the midfield to keep the New Zealand defence under pressure. There has been no let up in this game.
18 min Shahriar Moghanloo sets off to chase down a long ball into the penalty area with Finn Surman watching him closely. The defender gives the Iran striker a nudge as they come together. Iran call for a penalty but there was little in that as Moghanloo stays down and gives the players on both sides time to catch their breath.
Updated
17 min Iran finally win the ball back in defence and look to open up New Zealand on the counter. Iran have the pace up front to be a serious danger if the All Whites continue with their thoroughly entertaining all out attack.
Updated
15 min New Zealand pick out Chris Wood in the penalty area again. It is amazing how much space the centre-forward keeps finding. Wood swivels on to his right boot and shoots from close range but forward Shahriar Moghanloo dives desperately to get a boot in and perhaps save the day for Iran.
Updated
14 min New Zealand lock the ball forward for a series of throws. Marko Stamenić wins the second ball in the penalty area, swings wider on to his right boot, the shot is on target but can’t find a way through the sea of boots. The Iran defence looks rattled.
12 min Chris Wood creates something out of nothing again to pick a way through the Iran defence and find Sarpreet Singh hovering in space inside the penalty area. A step left then right almost opens up a sight on goal but Singh slices a hurried shot wide for a goal kick.
Updated
9 min The goal has taken the wind out of Iran’s sails as New Zealand settle into two defensive lines.
All Whites goalkeeper Max Crocombe launched the attack with a long ball to Chris Wood who was able to bring the ball under control despite being outnumbered by Iran defenders. Wood as a bullocking target was always likely to be the biggest concern for Iran and with New Zealand taking an early lead I suspect we’ll see much more of the same from here.
Updated
GOAL! Iran 0-1 New Zealand (Just 7)
New Zealand score with their first real foray forward. Chris Wood with a blend of control and chaos opens up the opportunity for Eli Just to slam the ball into the back of the net against the run of play.
Updated
6 min Aria Yousefi fires in the first shot of the game after receiving the ball on the left side of the penalty area and cutting back on to his right foot. There wasn’t quite enough venom on the strike as goalkeeper Max Crocombe collected with ease.
4 min New Zealand are forced to defend again with Iran continuing to win the ball back in the midfield. The early exchanges have been frenetic but the All Whites look up for matching Iran’s physicality.
2 min Iran launch the ball back into attack where a tough challenge from New Zealand on the edge of the box clears the danger and is given the OK by the referee.
Updated
1 min An electric start from Iran as they quickly win the ball back from the kick-off and send it down the right and into the penalty box. The New Zealand defence clears under pressure.
Kick-off
Peeeeeep! The waiting is over and all the attention finally turns to football as New Zealand get us under way in the World Cup Group G match against Iran at Los Angeles Stadium.
Updated
New Zealand’s national anthem rings out next and we aren’t too far away from kick-off at Los Angeles Stadium. But if you have a moment to dive deep into the difficulties the Iran team has faced in the buildup to the tournament, head here …
Updated
Iran players are lined up for the national anthem, right hand across their heart as they sing along and cheers fill Los Angeles Stadium.
Updated
New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley has just explained that Matt Garbett has suffered World Cup heartbreak with a hamstring injury on the eve of the tournament. Logan Rogerson has taken his place in the squad.
It’s devastating news for Matt Garbett, he had a hamstring issue in training a couple of days ago, and when we went through all the medical stuff it turned out worse. It was a bad one …
We’ve got to rise to the occasion. We’ve to go out there and enjoy it. Give it everything and work together, work hard, work together and let’s have a great day.
Australia defender Kai Trewin was the next to benefit from the battle between social media influencers before the World Cup started, but Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha did much of his own hard work with a stunning performance in the draw with Spain. From 50,000 followers before that game started, Vozinha now has more than 4.1 million people watching his Instagram account (including, it must be said, Guardian Sport).
Updated
New Zealand have enjoyed a much more settled buildup to the World Cup with the spotlight turning on to their unheralded Tim Payne rather than their participation at the tournament. The defender has become a social media sensation with more than 5.7 million followers on Instagram. Join the Tim Payne party or find out more about his newfound fame.
Updated
The Iran players and team staff have had an unusually difficult and disrupted buildup to the World Cup. Iran captain and striker Mehdi Taremi has said the controversy and disruption surrounding their involvement at the World Cup undermines Fifa’s message of peace and conceded he felt the tension before arriving in Los Angeles on the eve of their opener, hours before a peace deal was announced. For the first time since the competition’s inception, a host nation has received a country with which it is at war.
Alexander Abnos, the Guardian’s senior sports editor in the US, has a close on the buildup in Los Angeles …
There were scattered protests outside Los Angeles Stadium, but nothing that, from my vantage points, seem to have been especially disruptive. On the west side of the stadium, the most vocal show of protest is a man with a megaphone chanting that the Iranian team represents IRGC terrorists, free Iran, and other slogans in Farsi. I understand there is a larger gathering on the east side, numbering about 200 people.
The Iranian team has enjoyed strong support from Mexicans in Tijuana since they were forced to move training base from Tucson given fears over US visa issues. That has carried over to Los Angeles Stadium – there are a huge number of fans in green Mexico jerseys here, almost all of them chanting support for Iran. In the northern end of the stadium, one group have even unfurled a medium-size banner reading “Te amamos Iran!” (We love you, Iran).
Updated
New Zealand XI
All Whites: 1 Max Crocombe (gk); 13 Liberato Cacace, 16 Finn Surman, 5 Michael Boxall, 2 Tim Payne; 6 Joe Bell, 8 Marko Stamenić; 11 Eli Just, 10 Sarpreet Singh, 20 Callum McCowatt; 9 Chris Wood (c).
Chris Wood will lead the line and the side into their third World Cup campaign. The XI is expected to settle into a more defensive 4-2-3-1 formation and rely on pace up front from Just, Singh and McCowatt. Crocombe is named goalkeeper ahead of Alex Paulsen.
Updated
Iran XI
Team Melli: 1 Alireza Beiranvand (gk); 23 Ramin Rezaeian, 19 Ali Nemati, 4 Shoja Khalilzadeh, 5 Milad Mohammadi, 6 Saeid Ezatolahi, 14 Saman Ghoddos, 17 Aria Yousefi; 9 Mehdi Taremi (c), 8 Mohammad Mohebi, 20 Shahriar Moghanloo.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei pulls no punches with an XI expected to lineup in a 4-4-2. Captain Mehdi Taremi is the focal point up front alongside Shahriar Moghanloo who has parachuted into the team.
Updated
There have now been five matches without defeat for Asian sides at this World Cup after the draw between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. Jonathan Wilson had already pondered even before the game in Miami whether these are early signs that the continent is a rising force in football, with Iran out to add to the evidence when they face New Zealand.
AFC teams have in the past perhaps been guilty of lacking belief against Uefa sides, but no longer. Japan celebrated the equaliser as any side that has snatched a draw should, but the disappointment when they fell behind was clear. First and second in this group play second and first in the Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti group. It’s an indication of how far both Morocco and Japan have come that it’s not at all clear that it would be easier to face them than Brazil or the Netherlands.
Saudi Arabia have held on against a flurry of late attacks from Uruguay for a 1-1 draw in the Group H game in Miami. Uruguay pressed hard but just could not find a way through the Saudi Arabia defence.
Updated
Check complete: Surely one of the most bizarre stories to emerge from this World Cup so far – Australian video assistant referee Shaun Evans has been cleared by Fifa after after he was accused of making a hand gesture associated with white supremacists. An investigation found no evidence that Evans had breached Fifa’s ethics code and he issued a statement claiming he had been unaware of making the controversial hand sign:
The only explanation I can offer is that the movement was an involuntary, subconscious twitch and I was unaware I had done it at the time.
Matt Hughes’s full story is here:
And there’s a grandstand finish on the cards over in Miami, where Uruguay have just equalised with 10 minutes to go in their Group H game, having laid siege to the Saudi Arabia goal.
Updated
In the other Group G game earlier today, Egypt went close to securing a first World Cup win, but were ultimately thwarted by Romelu Lukaku, who came off the bench in the 66th minute and immediately forced an equaliser. Afterwards, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia neatly summed up the veteran striker’s impact:
Frankly, when you are the opponent and you see Romelu Lukaku entering the field, your confidence goes down and your anxiety increases.
Jeff Rueter was in Seattle to watch the game unfold:
Updated
Team guide: New Zealand
By Maree Mahony
New Zealand, known as the All Whites, are back at the World Cup for just the third time, thanks to winning the Oceania region’s sole qualifying spot. Since their last World Cup in 2010 New Zealand have evolved from part-timers to professionals and there is belief they have the skillset and experience to make the knockout rounds for the first time.
It’s a tall order, though. New Zealand, at No 85 the event’s lowest-ranked qualifiers, are up against Belgium, who are ninth, Egypt, 29th, and Iran, 21st, in Group G. The renowned commentator Paul Ifill says the current squad is “miles better” than the one that went to South Africa, where they finished unbeaten with three draws. After the squad announcement the coach, Darren Bazeley, agreed the side were in a good place: “It’s a blend of exciting young talent and experienced players to maximise our chances of winning games and getting out of our group.”
…
Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood, the captain, is one of two survivors of the last campaign and much will depend on his fitness. The striker was a contender for top scorer in the Premier League in the 2024-25 season, but a serious knee injury late last year sidelined him for several months.
“New Zealand will need to be able to defend without the ball and then work out how to hurt opponents when we get the ball back. A lot will depend on whether Wood is fully fit,” Ifill says.
Get the full low down on New Zealand …
Updated
Team guide: Iran
By Behnam Jafarzadeh
Iran were one of the first teams to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup and, compared to previous campaigns, they had a relatively smooth path to the tournament. However, preparing the team for the competition has been anything but easy. Iran’s conflicts with the US and Israel threw their involvement at the World Cup into serious doubt – all three of their group games take place in the US – and Amir Ghalenoei, the manager, and his coaching staff have had to work hard to minimise disruption.
Nevertheless, in their two friendlies in March against Nigeria and Costa Rica, Iran showed that they have different plans in mind for the World Cup. In the first match against Nigeria, they lined up in a 3-6-1 formation – a setup Ghalenoei described as the team’s “defensive plan B”, likely designed for the group meeting with Belgium. In the second game against Costa Rica, Ghalenoei used a 4-4-2 formation, indicating that he intends to shift tactics depending on the opponent. The primary system remains 4-2-3-1, which Iran used in most of qualifying.
…
Despite the problems and controversies surrounding the national team, who moved their World Cup base camp from the US to Mexico just weeks before the tournament, Ghalenoei still believes his side are capable of achieving something special. “We’ve had many problems recently, but the players tried their best and made sacrifices. They worked so hard [through qualification] and sacrificed a lot, so it is my job to thank them. They can do something epic in the World Cup. They can do it, they have the technical potential to make this a World Cup to remember.”
Find out more about the Iran football team behind the headlines …
Updated
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the World Cup match between Iran and New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium. This is one of the most highly anticipated games of the group stage even while featuring two sides that have never reached the knockouts at the tournament.
The conflict between Iran and the US-Israel has dominated the buildup to the game – and much of the tournament – with uncertainty over whether the Asian nation would even be permitted to play matches in a country with which it is at war. That’s before getting to the many disruptions that have affected the Iran player’s and team staff’s preparations, including ongoing issues over visas and entry to the US, and being based in Tijuana, Mexico, while all three of their group stage matches are fixtures north of the border.
Turning attention to matters on the pitch, Iran are playing at their seventh World Cup. But they are still to progress past the group stage – only Scotland have been to the global tournament more times and found the first round an insurmountable hurdle. While Iran have that history, as well as modern-day chaos and challenges to overcome, they have strong form behind them after breezing through qualifying with only one defeat in 16 matches, and ramping up their final preparations with three comfortable victories.
New Zealand, on the other hand, have largely flown under the radar and arrive as the lowest-ranked team at No 85. This is just their third appearance at the tournament after making their debut and suffering three defeats in 1982. They returned in 2010 and were the only side to leave South Africa undefeated after holding reigning champions Italy to a 1-1 draw in the group stage and also sharing the points with Slovakia and Paraguay.
But that record leaves New Zealand still searching for a first World Cup triumph. Darren Bazeley’s side won all five qualifying matches – while scoring 29 goals and conceding only once – to take full advantage of the Oceania conference being guaranteed a spot at this year’s tournament. Their form has dipped more in recent times, but with Belgium and Egypt the other sides making up Group G, this looks as good a chance as any for the All Whites to claim a breakthrough victory.
Kick-off is 6pm local or PDT/9pm EDT/2am BST/11am AEST. For those counting down from the lands of the competing nations, kick-off is 4.30am IRST/1pm NZST. I’ll be back shortly with the line-ups and team news. In the meantime, get in touch with any questions, thoughts and predictions. You can shoot me an email, or find me on Bluesky @martinpegan.bsky.social. Let’s get into it!
Updated
