The Iran national football team started their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand. The match was held in Los Angeles and Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi scored for Iran. Chris Wood and Elijah Just scored for New Zealand. Iran faced problems in their defensive line and was able to come back twice after falling behind. Amir Ghalenoei, the coach of the Iran national football team, referred to the team's problems in the defensive line after the match and said that his team had a good performance in the 50-meter attack. Ramin Rezaeian helped Iran come back into the game with a precise pass to Mohammad Mohebi.