Iran produced one of the tournament's finest performances to battle back from behind twice and claim a gripping 2-2 draw with New Zealand in FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G, played in front of 70,108 fans at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

The result means all four sides in Group G are level on one point following Belgium's 1-1 draw with Egypt in the day's other fixture.

Just's double puts New Zealand in front

New Zealand struck against the run of play in the 7th minute. Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood held the ball up superbly on the edge of the area and laid it off for Motherwell forward Eli Just, who swept a clinical volley past goalkeeper Alireza Behranvand to give the All Whites the lead.

Iran levelled through Ramin Rezaeian before the break, but Just delivered another blow ten minutes into the second half. Combining once more with Wood at the end of a flowing team move, the Motherwell man rounded off the attack to restore New Zealand's advantage and put them on course for a historic first World Cup victory.

Mohebbi's header rescues a point

Iran refused to buckle. Rezaeian drove forward and whipped a cross in from the right flank, and Mohammad Mohebbi met it with a precise header that deflected in off the base of the post — a moment that secured a share of the spoils and sent the Iranian supporters inside SoFi Stadium into jubilation.

The match took place against a charged backdrop. Protesters gathered outside SoFi Stadium ahead of kick-off, calling for political change in Tehran, while Iran's national anthem was met with jeers from sections of the crowd inside the ground.

Despite the turbulence surrounding their World Cup build-up, Iran showed remarkable resilience on the pitch — and will take heart from the draw as Group G takes shape.