Iran Fights Back Twice to Draw 2-2 with New Zealand in Politically Charged World Cup Opener

Iran's Mohammad Mohebbi (8) celebrates after scoring his side's second goal. (AP Photo)

Iran showed resilience on and off the pitch as Team Melli twice fought back from behind to secure a 2-2 draw against New Zealand in a politically charged FIFA World Cup opener on Monday night. Mohammad Mohebbi's 64th-minute equaliser capped a spirited comeback by the Asian side, which has endured one of the most turbulent build-ups to the tournament following the war involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Playing before a passionate pro-Iranian crowd at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, Iran overcame deficits on two occasions to claim a point against a New Zealand side appearing at its first World Cup since 2010.

New Zealand strike early but Iran hit back

The All Whites stunned the heavily Iranian crowd inside the stadium in just the seventh minute. Captain Chris Wood intercepted a goal kick and, after creating space in the final third, found Elijah Just, who volleyed brilliantly through traffic to hand New Zealand an early lead. Iran gradually settled and found a response in the 32nd minute through veteran defender Ramin Rezaeian. The right-back produced a moment of quality, delicately chipping the ball with the outside of his boot to bring Team Melli level. New Zealand regained the advantage nine minutes after the restart. Wood once again played provider, holding up possession before releasing Just, whose strike found its way through a crowded penalty area for his second goal of the night. But Iran refused to surrender. In the 64th minute, Rezaeian turned creator, delivering a precise long ball onto the head of Mohebbi, who made no mistake to restore parity. Both sides had opportunities to snatch victory, but neither could find a decisive third goal.

Political backdrop overshadows campaign

Iran's seventh World Cup appearance has unfolded under extraordinary circumstances. Following the outbreak of war involving Iran, the United States and Israel on February 28, the Iranian federation even requested FIFA to relocate its group-stage matches outside the United States. That request was rejected, forcing the team to adapt its plans. Team Melli shifted its base from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, and has been flying into the United States only on the eve of matches before returning immediately after. Captain Mehdi Taremi admitted before the tournament that the World Cup had been robbed of much of the joy usually associated with football. The atmosphere around SoFi Stadium reflected those tensions. While several hundred Iranian-Americans protested against the government outside the venue, some supporters inside turned their backs during the national anthem. Once the match began, however, the overwhelming majority rallied behind the players.

Historic point for the All Whites

For New Zealand, the draw represented another memorable milestone. Ranked 85th in the world and the lowest-ranked team at the tournament, the All Whites matched the total number of goals they had scored across each of their previous two World Cup campaigns. Meanwhile, Iran, ranked 20th and appearing in a fourth consecutive World Cup, avoided defeat but remained in search of a breakthrough beyond the group stage.