June 15, (THEWILL) — Iran and New Zealand played out a thrilling 2-2 draw in their opening Group G match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
The entertaining contest featured four well-worked goals and several momentum swings as both sides displayed attacking ambition from start to finish.
New Zealand struck first after just seven minutes when captain Chris Wood supplied a precise pass to Elijah Just, who unleashed a superb volley into the roof of the net to give the All Whites an early advantage.
Iran gradually settled into the contest and began creating opportunities of their own. Mehdi Taremi came close to equalising when his effort struck the post before the breakthrough finally arrived in the 31st minute.
Right-back Ramin Rezaeian embarked on a surging run into the penalty area before finishing clinically to level the score and restore parity for Team Melli.
The second half started in a similar fashion, with New Zealand once again regaining the lead. Elijah Just grabbed his second goal of the evening in the 54th minute, finishing another incisive attacking move to put the Oceania representatives ahead.
Iran responded positively and drew level ten minutes later when Mohammad Mohebbi converted after excellent work from Rezaeian, who provided the assist after already scoring Iran’s first goal.
Buoyed by strong support inside SoFi Stadium, Iran pushed forward in search of a winner, while New Zealand remained dangerous on the counterattack. However, neither side could find the decisive breakthrough despite an open and entertaining finale.
The draw earned both teams a point and leaves Group G finely balanced after one of the most exciting matches of the opening round.
Olumide Atiba
