Group stage · Group G · #16
Iran v New Zealand
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
The goals, minute by minute
- 7'Elijah JustGoal · 0-1
- 32'Ramin RezaeianGoal · 1-1
- 54'Elijah JustGoal · 1-2
- 64'Mohammad MohebbiGoal · 2-2
The preview
Written before the match. We've left it as it was, even where the game said otherwise.
Context
Iran (20th FIFA) vs New Zealand (85th FIFA, lowest-ranked in the tournament).
Level of the teams
- Iran: at its 7th World Cup, solid (3 wins in last 5, 11 goals for).
- New Zealand: back after 16 years, in poor form (9 losses in 12 friendlies).
Key factors
- Big gap in ranking and experience in Iran's favor.
- Iran needs a win to dream of reaching the knockouts.
- New Zealand will bet on defending and holding on.
Prediction
Most likely result: 2-0 Iran (alternative: 1-0 Iran)
- Iran win: 62%
- Draw: 25%
- New Zealand win: 13%
Player to watch: Mehdi Taremi, Iran's attacking reference.
Final verdict, Confidence: medium-high
Iran is clearly superior and arrives needing points. New Zealand is limited, so an Iranian win is the most likely scenario.