Iran will do its best to set distractions aside when it takes on New Zealand in the 2026 FIFA World Cup opener at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on Monday, with kickoff set for 6 p.m.
Iran will be the first country in the history of the World Cup to compete on the home soil of a country it is at war with, and its arrival has been anything but smooth.
Some members of Iran’s staff were denied visas to the United States, and the uneasiness is undeniable.
Before Iran left its training site in Tijuana for Monday’s opening Group G match, Iranian star forward Mehdi Taremi compared this experience with previous ones while talking to ESPN through a translator.
“I’ve been to three World Cups and they always say once you get off the plane and you enter the host country, there’s just a unique atmosphere of friendliness and global-ness,” Taremi explained. “Unfortunately, I’m not feeling it right now. There’s a lot of tension right now in this World Cup. You feel it in the atmosphere and unfortunately, it’s because of actions like (visa denials). Maybe that’s just my personal feeling.”
Distractions aside, Iran and New Zealand will be hoping to make history and take advantage of FIFA’s expansion from 32 to 48 teams with 32 advancing to the knockout round instead of 16 previously. With eight third-place teams advancing past group play, it makes Monday’s Group G match even more critical for the two squads hoping to advance past group play for the first time ever.
Belgium and Egypt are the favored top two in Group G, so Iran and New Zealand know a victory will feel decisive. The two nations are meeting for just the third time, and for the first time in more than two decades. Iran beat New Zealand 3-0 in a friendly in 2003, and the only other time they met ended in a scoreless draw in 1973.
Iran dominated its run through Asian qualification to make its fourth straight World Cup appearance, and seventh overall.
Iran only had one loss in 16 AFC qualification matches. Since qualification, Iran reached the final of the CAFA Nations Cup, had draws with Cabo Verde, Uzbekistan and garnered an impressive 5-0 friendly victory over Costa Rica in March.
Iran’s squad consists mostly of players from the Persian Gulf Pro League and some notable European club players like Taremi, who is key to their success. Taremi notched 10 goals this season for Olympiacos of Super League Greece. Taremi has been a long-time figure, having scored 52 goals with the national team. He scored twice against England in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Still, with a war at home that forced its domestic league to shut down in March, Iran is one of the most polarizing teams. Iran’s coach Amir Ghalenoei told FIFA.com they have had many obstacles to overcome.
“We’ve had many problems recently, but the players tried their best and made sacrifices,” Ghalenoei told FIFA last month. “They worked so hard (through qualification) and sacrificed a lot, so it is my job to thank them. They can do something epic in the World Cup. They can do it, they have the technical potential to make this a World Cup to remember.”
New Zealand is the lowest ranked team at the World Cup, making its third World Cup appearance and first since 2010. New Zealand had a notable distinction of being the only team at the World Cup to finish undefeated in 2010, however, it did not advance from the group stage having secured three straight draws.
Not surprisingly, New Zealand breezed through Oceania qualifying, winning all five games with a 28-goal differential, allowing just one goal.
New Zealand’s star attraction is 34-year-old striker Chris Wood, who has spent more than a decade in the Premier League and most recently with Nottingham Forrest. Wood scored five goals during Oceania qualification and has 92 career goals in the Premier League.
While New Zealand is a long shot to come out of the group, it played well in its final tune-up before the World Cup, dominating Chile, 4-1.
Iran finishes group play on June 21 vs. Belgium in Los Angeles before departing for Seattle to take on Egypt on June 26.
New Zealand leaves for Vancouver for its next two group matches. It takes on Egypt on June 21, followed by Belgium on June 26.