Deck: Elijah Just scored twice for the All Whites, but Iran refused to stay down — and now all four teams in Group G are deadlocked at one point heading into matchday two.
A Group G opener with no clear winner
If you were hoping Monday’s Group G nightcap would produce a clear favorite heading into the knockout rounds, you left SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles with more questions than answers. Iran and New Zealand battled to a 2-2 draw in both nations’ 2026 World Cup opener — a result that keeps Group G in a four-way deadlock after the first round of matches.
Earlier in the day, Belgium and Egypt traded a 1-1 draw of their own, meaning all four Group G sides sit on one point apiece. The math is simple: everything is still to play for, and no team can afford to blink.
Elijah Just gave New Zealand reason to dream — twice
New Zealand’s best moments came courtesy of striker Elijah Just, who turned in one of the more memorable individual performances of opening matchday. Just opened the scoring in just the seventh minute, connecting on a sensational leaping kick off a pass from Chris Wood from the center of the box.
He wasn’t done. After Iran drew level in the first half, Just struck again in the second half — this time capitalizing on an Iran turnover at midfield, with Wood picking up another assist. For a brief window, New Zealand looked primed to steal control of a wide-open group.
The All Whites also held a statistical edge on the night, controlling 52% of the possession and outshooting Iran eight to four on goal.
Iran’s resilience kept denying the All Whites
Give Iran credit: they were never out of it. Ramin Rezaeian was the catalyst for both equalizers, breaking through traffic in the box for the first, then delivering the cross-field pass that Mohammad Mohebbi headed home in the 64th minute to make it 2-2.
In goal, Iran’s Alireza Beiranvand was the standout performer of the match, racking up six saves to New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe’s two. The disparity in goalkeeping helped Iran survive a night when New Zealand held most of the attacking advantages.
A Monday that belonged to the draws
The Iran–New Zealand result capped off a remarkable Monday at the 2026 World Cup that produced zero outright winners across four matches. Cape Verde held powerhouse Spain to a 0-0 shutout — widely considered one of the biggest upsets of the opening round — while Uruguay needed an 80th-minute goal to salvage a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia, keeping Group H level as well, according to Yahoo Sports.
Beyond the scoreline: protest, politics, and the Iranian diaspora
Monday’s match at SoFi Stadium carried weight that went well beyond the World Cup standings. Iran’s participation in the 2026 tournament had been uncertain at various points due to the country’s ongoing conflict with host nation the United States.
Los Angeles is home to the largest Iranian diaspora community outside of Iran, with roughly 230,000 Iranian-American residents. Protests were held outside the stadium before kickoff, and reactions among Iranian supporters inside were divided. The Iranian national anthem was played before the match amid the tense atmosphere.
The bottom line
New Zealand will leave Los Angeles feeling like they let two points slip through their fingers. They had the lead twice, the better statistics, and a striker in red-hot form. Iran, on the other hand, can feel proud of their resilience and will carry genuine confidence into their next fixture.
With all four Group G teams level on points and goal difference tightly bunched, the race to the knockout stage is completely open. The next round of matches could change everything.
Call-to-Action: Stay tuned for full Group G standings updates and match previews as the 2026 World Cup group stage continues. Bookmark this page for the latest results.
Sources
[1] Yahoo Sports / Jason Owens. “Iran, New Zealand play to 2-2 draw to keep Group G tied up with 1 point apiece.” June 16, 2026.
