The New Zealand national football team All Whites began their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with a 2-2 draw against Iran. Chris Wood and Elijah Just were the standout players for the All Whites, with Just scoring a brace. The match took place at SoFi Stadium, with Iran aiming to continue their impressive form. New Zealand, led by captain Chris Wood, were set up in a 4-2-3-1 system, with Max Crocombe starting in goal. Iran received positive news with Roozbeh Cheshmi and Mehdi Torabi returning to training, while New Zealand reported only a minor concern involving Ryan Thomas. The All Whites made a dream start in the seventh minute when Chris Wood picked out Elijah Just, who hammered a volley into the roof of the net to give New Zealand an early lead. Iran gradually settled into the contest and began creating opportunities, with Mehdi Taremi striking the post before the equalizer finally arrived in the 31st minute. Right-back Ramin Rezaeian made a surging run into the penalty area and stabbed home to bring his side level. New Zealand restored their advantage nine minutes after the restart, with Chris Wood once again turning provider, sliding a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Elijah Just, who finished confidently to score his second goal of the match. Iran responded quickly and found another equalizer in the 64th minute, with Rezaeian delivering an excellent cross into the box where Mohammad Mohebbi powered a header in off the far post to make it 2-2. Both sides searched for a winning goal during the closing stages, but the goalkeepers proved decisive, with Iran's Alireza Beiranvand producing six saves, while New Zealand's Max Crocombe also made some crucial stops. The draw leaves both teams with a point in Group G, with Belgium and Egypt also drawing 1-1 earlier in the day. The All Whites will look to build on this result in their next match, with Chris Wood and Elijah Just likely to play key roles. And with the team showing resilience and fighting spirit, they will be hoping to cause an upset in the tournament. But for now, they will be satisfied with a point against a strong Iranian team. So the focus will be on the next match, with the All Whites looking to take all three points and move up the group standings.