Iran’s Ramin Rezaeian (23) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal during the World Cup Group G soccer match between Iran and New Zealand in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)Iran’s Ramin Rezaeian (23) celebrates after scoring a goal during the World Cup Group G soccer match between Iran and New Zealand in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)Iran’s Milad Mohammadi (5) jumps over New Zealand’s Callum McCowatt (20) during the World Cup Group G soccer match between Iran and New Zealand in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)Iran’s Arya Yousefi (17) and New Zealand’s Joe Bell (6) battle for the ball during the World Cup Group G soccer match between Iran and New Zealand in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)An attendees holds an Iranian flag with an “X” on it before the World Cup Group G soccer match between Iran and New Zealand in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Iran’s Ramin Rezaeian (23) celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal during the World Cup Group G soccer match between Iran and New Zealand in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Iran opened its politically charged World Cup by playing to a 2-2 draw with New Zealand on Monday night, overcoming two deficits and getting the tying goal from Mohammad Mohebbi in the 64th minute.
Ramin Rezaeian scored an early goal and assisted on Mohebbi’s goal for the Iranians, whose World Cup cycle has been in upheaval since the U.S. and Israel began a war against Iran on Feb. 28. Iran ultimately decided to compete even after FIFA rejected its request to move its three group-stage matches out of the U.S.
Iran moved its training base during the tournament from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, and the team is flying into the U.S. on the day before each game before returning quickly to Mexico.
Team Melli began the tournament before a strong pro-Iranian crowd at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, which has the world’s largest population of Iranians outside Iran. While several hundred Iranian Americans protested the government outside, many fans from the diaspora jeered and turned their backs on the field during the national anthem — but almost all appeared to support the Iranian players once the match kicked off.
Elijah Just scored early in each half for New Zealand, but Iran responded twice to keep the All Whites winless in their World Cup history.
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