Iran and New Zealand face off in their 2026 World Cup debut with both nations aiming to advance to the knockout rounds for the first time in tournament history.
Political unrest and a highly-publicized conflict between Iran and the U.S. have dominated headlines in the lead-up to the tournament. Despite all the chaos surrounding the team, Iran enter the World Cup on the back of a very impressive qualifying campaign that saw it book its place in the tournament way back in March 2025. Now, Amir Ghalenoei’s side are eager to rise past a difficult context to produce a magical World Cup campaign.
