Iran and New Zealand draw 2-2 in politically charged World Cup opener overshadowed by protests and peace deal
Iran twice came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw with New Zealand in their World Cup 2026 opener at SoFi Stadium, a match played against a backdrop of anti-government protests, a newly signed US-Iran peace accord, and strict FIFA restrictions on political expression.
A team arrives under a cloud
The Iranian team landed in Los Angeles on Sunday, 14 June, the same day the United States and Iran announced a provisional agreement to end months of armed conflict. The players, based in Tijuana, Mexico, after plans to stay in Arizona were cancelled, are permitted only 48 hours on US soil and must return to Mexico after each match. Their arrival was met by a small group of protesters, while the city's large Iranian-American community (estimated at around 600,000) remained divided between supporting the national team and opposing the Tehran regime.
We don't have the same beautiful experience we always talk about, peace, joy. This kind of tension undermines that joy.
The match
New Zealand, making their first World Cup appearance in 16 years, took the lead after just seven minutes when Elijah Just finished a Chris Wood pass inside the area. Iran responded before the interval: Ramin Rezaeian reacted quickest to a blocked shot to equalise. Wood and Just combined again early in the second half for Just's second goal, but ten minutes later Mohammad Mohebbi headed home a Rezaeian cross to make it 2-2. Iran created the better late chances but could not find a winner.
- Iran team arrives in Los Angeles; US and Iran announce peace deal
- Kick-off at SoFi Stadium
- Elijah Just scores for New Zealand (7th minute)
- Ramin Rezaeian equalises for Iran (31st minute)
- Elijah Just restores New Zealand's lead (47th minute)
- Mohammad Mohebbi equalises for Iran (64th minute)
I love my mother and father. They always pray for me in difficult times, so this goal is for them, and also for my people in Iran.
Protests and political gestures
Outside the stadium, between 300 and 500 demonstrators waved pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flags and chanted against the Islamic Republic. Some fans booed the Iranian anthem and jeered the players as they entered. Inside, several Iranian players made gestures interpreted as political: Rezaeian pulled his shirt over his face, later calling it "something political", while Mohebbi mimed a gun, which he downplayed as a mere celebration. The pre-revolutionary flag had been banned by FIFA as a political symbol, though some fans still carried it through security.
It's not our national team, it's the team of the Islamic Republic.
FIFA and the coach's complaint
FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited the Iranian dressing room after the match, reportedly to calm tensions. The pre-match press conference saw no football questions, as journalists focused on the geopolitical situation. Iran's coach Amir Ghalenoei later accused the governing body of oppressing his team, stating that after the game they were told, "You have to leave immediately." He called Iran the "most oppressed team" at the tournament.
Group G wide open
The result leaves all four Group G teams with one point, after Belgium and Egypt also drew 1-1. New Zealand remain without a win at a men's World Cup finals. Iran will return to Mexico to prepare for their next fixture, under the same restrictive visa conditions.
