Iran drew 2-2 with New Zealand in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup at Los Angeles Stadium. New Zealand scored first in the 7th minute through Elijah Just. Iran equalized in the 32nd minute through Ramin Rezaeian. According to alarabiya, New Zealand regained the lead in the 54th minute through Elijah Just. Iran equalized again in the 64th minute through Mohammad Mohebbi. The match occurred against the backdrop of war between Iran and the United States. Protests against the Iranian government occurred outside the stadium during the match. According to dawn, Iran’s national team faced difficulties obtaining U.S. visas and relocated their training camp to Mexico. According to cbssports.com, Iran’s national team was restricted in how much time they could spend in the United States. According to almonitor, Iran and New Zealand had never met in a World Cup match before this game, and the Iranian diaspora in Los Angeles is the largest outside Iran. According to cbssports.com, Iran’s head coach Amir Ghalenoei stated he hoped football would bring joy and unite cultures. According to the guardian, FIFA’s slogan is 'football unites the world'.