Iran and New Zealand played out an entertaining 2-2 draw in their opening Group G fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
The game produced two goals in each half as both sides settled for a point in a contest that keeps Group G wide open.
New Zealand made a dream start when Motherwell midfielder Elijah Just opened the scoring in the seventh minute, finishing off a fine assist from captain Chris Wood.
Iran responded midway through the first half, with Ramin Rezaeian finding the back of the net in the 32nd minute to restore parity before the break.
The All Whites regained the lead nine minutes after the restart when Just struck again in the 54th minute, once more benefiting from excellent work by Wood, who provided his second assist of the game.
However, the Persian Cheetahs refused to give in and levelled matters for a second time in the 64th minute through Mohammed Mohebi.
Both teams pushed for a winner in the closing stages, but neither could find the decisive goal as the points were shared.
The result leaves Group G finely balanced after the other group match between Belgium and Egypt also ended in a 1-1 draw.
Iran will face Belgium in their next fixture on June 21, while New Zealand take on Egypt on June 22.
