All Whites emboldened by 2-2 draw with Iran but first FIFA World Cup win remains elusive

Tuesday, 16 June 2026

The All Whites drew 2-2 with Iran in their 2026 FIFA World Cup opener at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Eli Just scored for the All Whites in the seventh minute before Ramin Rezaeian equalised for Iran in the 32nd.

Just restored his side’s lead nine minutes into the second half, but his strike was cancelled out when Mohammad Mohebi scored 10 minutes later.

At SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles: All Whites 2 (Eli Just 7’, 54’) Iran 2 (Ramin Rezaeian 32’, Mohammad Mohebi 64’). HT: 1-1

Eli Just became New Zealand’s leading FIFA World Cup goalscorer with a brace in his competition debut, but the All Whites had to settle for a first-up draw in group G that will sting, given how close they came to securing a first World Cup win at the seventh time of trying.

The attacking midfielder scored a goal in each half of his 85th-ranked side’s pulsating 2-2 stalemate with world No 20 Iran in front of a 70,108-strong crowd at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, finishing flowing attacking moves the likes of which the All Whites do not produce that often.

Coach Darren Bazeley has been a fixture in the national team set-up since 2014 and he said he told the players afterwards: “I think that may be our best performance ever – or since I’ve been involved with the All Whites, which is a long time”.

With regard to the attacking side of the game, and given it was on the World Cup stage, you will find no argument. The team will rightly be emboldened by their efforts more than they are disappointed.

Captain Chris Wood provided the assists for Just’s strikes in the seventh and 54th minutes and would have been as frustrated as anyone they only resulted in a 2-2 scoreline, with Iran equalising twice, through Ramin Rezaeian in the 32nd minute and Mohammad Mohebi in the 64th.

Just’s first goal came after a series of quick passes between him, Sarpreet Singh and Wood, who started the move by releasing Just towards goal after receiving a goal kick from Max Crocombe. When the striker got the ball back, he laid it off with his first touch and Just took one with his left before firing home with his right.

Just’s second came after he played a one-two with Wood on the right of the area, at the end of an elegant move that began with Joe Bell – who was immense throughout – winning the ball on halfway.

Wood said of Just: “It's nice to be the assister for once. Eli sets me up a lot, and it's nice to give a couple back to him. He's done extremely well, finishing them both off – two unbelievable finishes, both on his weak foot. Hell of a game [from him].”

There were costly defensive lapses for both Iran goals, but at the end of Monday evening local time (Tuesday NZ time), the All Whites were sitting atop group G, even if only by virtue of the fact that they received fewer yellow cards than their opponents.

Egypt, New Zealand’s next opponents on Sunday in Vancouver (1pm next Monday NZ time), took a 1-0 lead over Belgium earlier in the day in Seattle through Emam Ashour, but were denied their first World Cup win when they conceded a second-half own goal.

Bazeley said his side’s display would maybe “have taken a few people by surprise, in showing who we are and the football that we can play”.

“We’ve got some very good players in our squad that have gone and performed very well today.

“We're disappointed to not win. When you're leading twice in the game, you come away with that ‘what if’.”

Just said the All Whites would “have to look at both sides” after the current crop added a fourth World Cup draw to the three the 2010 team famously had in going undefeated in South Africa.

“I think we played so well. Everybody is happy and at the same time, if we maybe defend smarter in a few moments, maybe keep the ball a little bit more and control the game, then we’re looking at three points.

“It’s a bit of both, you can’t be disappointed, a point in the World Cup is tough to get. We’ll recover now and just prepare [for Egypt].”

The only blemish on Just’s evening was the way he failed to track Rezaeian in the lead-up to Iran’s first equaliser, when he cut in from the right then continued into the box after passing.

Centre back Michael Boxall also reacted slowly as the ball came back to Rezaeian to poke home when his defensive partner Finn Surman got a foot in to deny Shariyar Moghanloo after being turned.

For Iran’s second, Mohebi got free between Boxall and Surman to head a cross from Rezaeian into the bottom-left corner.

Bazeley thought his side were “very unlucky to concede” the first, but on the second they “maybe could have stopped the cross”.

“Then we don't pick up in the box, which is disappointing, because I thought the two centre backs were outstanding throughout the game. They're in the dressing room and they're hurting. That one moment – five seconds of football – has hurt them.”

The All Whites were headed back to San Diego on Monday night, where they will resume training on Wednesday ahead of a potentially pivotal showdown with Egypt on Sunday in Canada.

“We were very close to getting that win,” Bazeley said. “Two good team goals from our team. We probably needed to get that two-goal gap and we had those chances to go 2-0 or 3-1.”

The All Whites’ final chance came when substitute Jesse Randall sent a cross in from the left which Wood met with a looping header. Said Bazeley: “Sometimes they go in the far, top corner, and we win the game”.

Ryan Thomas, another substitute, then made a headed clearance in front of goal to keep it 2-2 and the All Whites had to settle for a fourth World Cup draw in a row.

They’re finally back on football’s grandest stage and they don’t look daunted, having more than risen to the occasion.

“I thought it was a really strong performance,” Bazeley said. “I think we showed the world who we are and who our players are.”