Iran and New Zealand played out a thrilling 2–2 draw in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G opener at Los Angeles Stadium, with Elijah Just scoring twice for the Kiwis and Ramin Rezaeian plus Mohammad Mohebbi striking back for Iran. Both teams showed resilience, but neither could find a late winner. Outlook India Firstpost News18 The Indian Express Oneindia

⚽ Match Summary

• Venue: Los Angeles Stadium, Inglewood, California
• Date: June 15, 2026
• Final Score: Iran 2 – 2 New Zealand
• Goals:
  • 🇳🇿 Elijah Just (7’, 54’) – brace assisted by Chris Wood
  • 🇮🇷 Ramin Rezaeian (32’) – equalizer after Moghanlou’s blocked shot
  • 🇮🇷 Mohammad Mohebbi (64’) – header from Rezaeian’s cross

🔑 Key Highlights

• New Zealand’s fast start: Elijah Just opened scoring in the 7th minute after Chris Wood’s clever hold-up play.
• Iran’s fightback: Rezaeian equalized in the first half, reacting to a loose ball.
• Second-half drama: Just struck again in the 54th minute, but Mohebbi’s header quickly restored parity.
• Near misses: Iran captain Mehdi Taremi hit the post late in the game. Chris Wood also came close with a header in stoppage time.
• End-to-end action: Both teams pressed hard for a winner, but the match ended level. News18

📊 Group G Standings After Matchday 1

🎥 Watch Highlights

You can catch the official FIFA highlights (2m 14s) and extended versions on YouTube.