Iran and New Zealand face off in their 2026 World Cup debut, with both nations looking to progress to the knockout rounds for the first time in the tournament’s history.
Political unrest and a highly publicized conflict between Iran and the US dominated the headlines in the run-up to the tournament. Despite all the chaos surrounding the team, Iran entered the World Cup on the back of a very impressive qualification campaign that saw them book their place in the tournament as early as March 2025.
New Zealand are in their third World Cup and first since collecting three draws in South Africa in 2010. The Kiwis are the lowest-ranked nation competing in 2026 and, although seen as the weakest team in Group G, could take advantage of Iran’s shaky backdrop to secure their first World Cup win.
Splitting the group with Belgium and Egypt complicates matters for both Iran and New Zealand, but given the extended field that grants qualification for the knockout stage to the best eight third-placed, it presents a dream opportunity for the underdog pair.
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Iranians are prepared to be in a defiant mood, despite battling massive odds.
Despite battling massive odds, Iran are a better side than New Zealand and are likely to show their quality advantage on the pitch at the SoFi Stadium to kick off their World Cup campaign with a win that will surely be passionately celebrated half a world away.
New Zealand are an incredibly flawed, mistake-prone team that like to be aggressive but leave a lot of space at the back. Iran will be able to capitalize on this to get a win that puts them in a very strong position to qualify for the knockout rounds.
It’s not the most exciting clash on paper, but sometimes it’s the matches you least expect that provide the fireworks. In the end, though, Iran will likely get past the All Whites.
Scoring form: Apart from an impressive 4-1 win over Chile in March, New Zealand have failed to score in their last four matches. Meanwhile, Iran have six goals in their last five games. FIFA ranking: The difference between both teams is perfectly highlighted in the FIFA ranking. Iran is ranked 20th, while New Zealand is ranked 85th, the lowest-ranked nation participating in the tournament. Recent form: Iran have lost just three of their last 12 matches and New Zealand have won just once in their last 11 competitions, losing nine of them.
Iran faced many difficulties in preparing for the tournament, but they remain a force to be reckoned with.
Experienced star striker Mehdi Taremi is Iran’s standout player and the former Inter Milan striker will be looking to add to his 60 career international goals.
While there are no big-name players, Iran’s strength comes from the sum of its parts, with FC Rostov’s Mohammad Mohebi operating in midfield and veteran Shoja Khalilzadeh anchoring the backline.
Alireza Beiranvand will be between the posts in his 82nd cap with Iran and aims to retain his first free international cap since 2026.
Former Feyenoord winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh faces a late fitness test to determine his status for the contest, but Iran will have the strongest XI available otherwise.
Iran predicted line-up against New Zealand (4-3-3): Beiranvand; Yousefi, Khalilzadeh, Nemati, Mohammadi; Ezatolahi, Ghoddos, Mohebis; Ghayedi, Taremi, Hosseinzadeh.
New Zealand is the clear underdog, but they still have some talented players on their roster.
Nottingham Forest centre-forward Chris Wood has endured an injury-riddled campaign but is back in time for the tournament and will be crucial to New Zealand’s success.
Swansea City’s Marko Stamenić will operate in a pivot double alongside Joe Bell, while the wings will be occupied by Matthew Garbett on the right and Elijah Just on the left.
Milwall goalkeeper Max Crocombe will likely have a busy night trying to deny Iran’s attack, with Minnesota United centre-back Michael Boxall charged with being the team’s defensive leader.
All eyes will be on right-back Tim Payne, who recently shot to fame after becoming the people’s champion at the 2026 World Cup.
New Zealand predicted line-up against Iran (4-2-3-1): Crocombe; Payne, Surman, Boxall, Cacace; Stamenić, Bell; Garbett, Singh, Just, Wood
Location: Inglewood, United States Stadium: SoFi StadiumDate: Monday, June 15 / Tuesday, June 16 Kickoff: 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT / 2:00 BST (June 16) Referee: Cesar Ramos (MEX)
This match is a must-watch for football fans around the world.
Country-specific broadcasters are listed below.
Iran vs New Zealand Score Prediction: Will Iran’s quality shine through, or can New Zealand cause an upset?
Iran vs New Zealand Predicted Lineup: Get ready for the big clash with our predicted lineups.
New Zealand Vs Predicted Lineup Iran: A look at the predicted starting XIs for both teams.
What time does Iran vs. New zealand kick off?
How to watch Iran vs. New Zealand on TV, live stream: Find out where to catch the match in your country.
Iran have overcome adversity to make it to the World Cup, and they’re ready to take on all comers.
Prediction: Iran 2–0 New Zealand: Our experts think Iran will get the win they need to kick off their World Cup campaign.
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MORE: Complete list of worldwide broadcasters for Iran vs New Zealand
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