Iran, New Zealand share points in thrilling World Cup draw
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- Iran and New Zealand played out a dramatic 2-2 draw in their opening FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage match.
- The result leaves all four teams in Group G level on one point after Egypt and Belgium also drew 1-1.
Iran and New Zealand settled for a 2-2 draw in an entertaining FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G clash, leaving the group wide open after all four teams finished the opening round with one point each.
New Zealand made a dream start when Elijah Just opened the scoring in the seventh minute. Iran responded before halftime through Ramin Rezaeian, who leveled the match in the 35th minute.
The Kiwis regained the lead early in the second half as Just struck again in the 54th minute following a swift counterattack set up by Christopher Wood.
Iran refused to back down and found another equalizer 10 minutes later when Mohammad Mohebi headed home from a precise cross delivered by Rezaeian.
Iran introduced captain Ehsan Hajsafi after the equalizer, while New Zealand responded with the arrival of Ryan Thomas in the 68th minute.
The match was briefly halted for a cooling break before both sides resumed their search for a winner.
Iran pushed forward in the closing stages, with Mohebi testing the defense in the 73rd minute before Mehdi Taremi missed a golden opportunity with a header that drifted narrowly wide in the 80th minute.
Despite five minutes of stoppage time, neither side could find a decisive goal.
The draw leaves Iran and New Zealand with one point each, matching Egypt and Belgium, who also played out a 1-1 draw in the other Group G fixture.
With all four teams level after the opening round, qualification remains firmly in the balance heading into the next set of matches.
