New Zealand get their FIFA World Cup 2026™ campaign underway in Group G against Iran tomorrow in Los Angeles.
It will be an historic occasion for the All Whites and Oceania, as they return to the global finals for their first World Cup fixture in 16 years, and their third World Cup campaign.
Drawn into Group G which also includes Belgium and Egypt, getting a result in their opening match against Iran will be crucial if New Zealand are to make a strong case for progression to the knockout stages for the first time.
Ranked #20 on the FIFA World Rankings – 65 places above the All Whites – Iran will present a formidable challenge, despite having their preparations for the tournament disrupted.
Iran’s FIFA World Cup Record
Iran will be appearing at their seventh FIFA World Cup, having made their debut at the global finals back in Argentina in 1978.
They have never previously progressed past the group stage though and have only managed three wins from 18 fixtures at the World Cup, two of which have come in their two most recent appearances.
In Qatar in 2022 they finished third in their group, defeating Wales 2-0 with two second half stoppage-time goals, but missed out on the knockout stage after a 0-1 defeat to the USA in their final group game.
Iran’s Qualification Campaign
Iran qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026 with 11 wins and just one defeat from their 16 matches through the AFC qualifying section.
They finished top of their group during Round 2 and then secured qualification with a first-place finish in Group A of Round 3, only suffering one defeat to Qatar.
The Coach
Amir Ghalenoei has returned to the Iranian national team for his second stint as head coach during their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign. Ghalenoei previously led Iran between August 2006 and July 2007, where they suffered elimination at the quarter-final stage of AFC Asian Cup 2007.
He is the most successful coach in the history of the Iranian Pro League, winning five domestic league titles and two domestic cups, and was also an Iranian international himself, winning 20 caps between 1985 and 1996.
Since taking over for a second term as head coach, Ghalenoei has won 31 and lost 6 of his 43 matches with Iran.
The Tactics
Iran have traditionally been identified with defensive organisation, physicality, and efficient attacking play in transition, when competing on the World Cup stage, and are expected to again follow that gameplan in North America under Ghalenoei.
Ghalenoei has commonly used 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 formations during his tenure, with defensive compactness the foundation of his team. Iran are often comfortable without the ball, trusting their structure and the quality of their attacking players to create problems on the break.
Corners and free kicks are also a major source of goals (much like New Zealand), with physical players and a strong aerial prescence making them one of Asia’s best from dead-ball situations.
Ghalenoei has selected a largely experienced squad, with many key players having featured in previous World Cup campaigns, giving them tactical maturity on the biggest stage. They include goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, defenders Ehsan Hajfasi and Ramin Rezaein, midfielders Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Saeid Ezatolahi, and star forward Mehdi Taremi.
Player to Watch: Mehdi Taremi
Much of Iran’s attacking threat revolves around striker Mehdi Taremi, who will carry the majority of the goalscoring burden for a nation that has so often relied on creating chances on the counter-attack.
Taremi is Iran’s second top goalscorer of all time with 60 goals from 105 international appearances – eight of which came during their qualifying campaign for FIFA World Cup 2026. He scored both goals for Iran in the 2-2 draw with Uzbekistan during Round 3 of the AFC qualifying process that secured their qualification for the finals.
He currently plays his club football for Olympiacos in Greece, scoring 10 league goals in the recently completed season, and has major European experience with Inter Milan and Porto.
New Zealand’s back four will have to keep close eye on him, particularly the two centre-backs. Taremi has scored twice before for Iran at the World Cup, both against England in 2022, and only needs one or two opportunities to make opponents pay.
New Zealand’s Record against Iran
The All Whites have met Iran on two previous occasions in international friendly matches. The pair played out a 0-0 draw in Auckland in 1973, before Iran won the second fixture as part of the AFC-OFC Challenge Cup 3-0 in Tehran in 2003.
The only other Central Asian opponent New Zealand have faced on the international stage is Uzbekistan, losing 3-1 in an international friendly in 2014.
This will be the All Whites first match against an Asian opponent at a FIFA World Cup, having only ever previously faced European and South American opposition at the global finals in 1982 and 2010.
Fixture Details
Iran v New Zealand | Los Angeles Stadium, USA | Monday June 15, 6pm local time (June 16, 1pm NZT)