Iran came from behind on two occasions to earn a hard-fought 2-2 draw against New Zealand in their opening Group G match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Iran denied New Zealand a historic World Cup victory after staging two comebacks in an entertaining encounter in Los Angeles.
New Zealand took an early lead through Motherwell forward Elijah Just, who finished brilliantly after being set up by captain Chris Wood. Iran responded before halftime when Ramin Rezaeian found the net after sustained pressure from the Asian side.
Just restored New Zealand’s advantage in the second half with his second goal of the match, once again linking up well with Wood. However, Iran refused to back down and equalised through Mohammad Mohebbi, whose header found the inside of the post.
Iran created several chances throughout the game, with star striker Mehdi Taremi hitting the woodwork and having another effort ruled out for offside. New Zealand also impressed in attack, recording 14 shots compared to Iran’s 17.
The result leaves Group G wide open, with all four teams level on one point after Belgium and Egypt also played out a draw in the group’s other fixture.
Iran and New Zealand will now turn their attention to their next World Cup matches as both sides continue their search for a place in the knockout stage.
