Iran's "Team Melli" and New Zealand's "All Whites" are set to meet for only the third time in history, with Iran holding the advantage from the previous encounters.
The head-to-head record stands at one Iran victory and one draw, with Team Melli remaining unbeaten against the Oceania side.
The Group G clash will take place on 16 June at 6:30 AM IST, with both teams looking to gain an early edge in a group that also features Belgium and Egypt.
Iran Vs New Zealand LIVE Streaming, FIFA World Cup 2026: Where To Watch, Prediction, H2H - All You Need To Know
Catch the live streaming, H2H, timings, squad and other info for the FIFA World Cup 2026's fixture between Iran and New Zealand
Summary
Iran's "Team Melli" begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against New Zealand's "All Whites" in the second Group G fixture, just hours after Belgium and Egypt kick off proceedings in the group.
With Belgium widely viewed as the favourites to top the standings, this clash could prove crucial in determining which team gains an early advantage in the race for the knockout stages.
Coached by Amir Ghalenoei, Team Melli arrive in North America as one of Asia's most experienced World Cup sides, having qualified for four consecutive editions of the tournament.
Built around defensive organisation, tactical discipline and the attacking quality of stars like Mehdi Taremi, Iran will be aiming to finally break their long-standing barrier of progressing beyond the group stage.
A winning start against New Zealand would significantly boost their chances of achieving that goal.
Standing in their way are Darren Bazeley's All Whites, who are making their first World Cup appearance since 2010. New Zealand dominated Oceania qualifying and enter the tournament with renewed belief, spearheaded by veteran striker Chris Wood.
While they may not possess the depth or experience of Iran, the All Whites have developed a reputation for resilience and defensive solidity, qualities they will need if they are to frustrate Team Melli and pull off an early surprise in Group G.
Iran Vs New Zealand, FIFA World Cup 2026: H2H Record
Total Matches: 2
Iran Wins: 1
New Zealand Wins: 0
Draws: 1
Iran Vs New Zealand, FIFA World Cup 2026: Match Prediction
Iran head into the match as favourites thanks to their superior World Cup experience and defensive stability. Team Melli have lost just once during their recent qualification cycle and boast proven match-winners such as Mehdi Taremi, who remains the focal point of their attack.
New Zealand, however, are unlikely to make life easy. The All Whites have shown remarkable organisation under Bazeley and possess a genuine goal threat through Chris Wood.
Expect New Zealand to remain compact and attempt to exploit set-pieces and transitions, while Iran seek to control possession and dictate the tempo.
Advertisement
Prediction: Iran 2-0 New Zealand.
Iran Vs New Zealand, FIFA World Cup 2026: Likely Starting XIs
Iran Predicted XIs:
Beiranvand (GK), Hardani, Kanaanizadegan, Khalilzadeh, Nemati, Ezatolahi, Ghoddos, Jahanbakhsh, Ghayedi, Mohebi, Taremi
New Zealand Predicted XIs:
Crocombe (GK), Payne, Surman, Boxall, Cacace, Bell, Singh, Stamenic, Just, Wood, Garbett
Iran Vs New Zealand, FIFA World Cup 2026: Match Details
Location: Inglewood, California, USA
Stadium: SoFi Stadium
Date: Monday, 16 June
Kick-off Time: 16/06/2026 – 6:30 am (IST)
Iran Vs New Zealand, FIFA World Cup 2026: LIVE Streaming & Telecast Details
The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be telecast live on Unite8 Sports network on television. For live streaming, one can catch the action on the Zee5 app and website.
Iran Vs New Zealand, FIFA World Cup 2026: Squads
Iran:
Goalkeepers
Alireza Beiranvand, Hossein Hosseini, Payam Niazmand.
Defenders
Daniyal Eiri, Ehsan Hajsafi, Saleh Hardani, Hossein Kanaani, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Milad Mohammadi, Ali Nemati, Ramin Rezaeian.
Midfielders
Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Saeid Ezatolahi, Mehdi Ghayedi, Saman Ghoddos, Mohammad Ghorbani, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mohammad Mohebi, Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia, Mehdi Torabi, Aria Yousefi.
Advertisement
Forwards
Ali Alipour, Dennis Dargahi, Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, Shahriyar Moghanlou, Mehdi Taremi.
New Zealand:
Goalkeepers
Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Oliver Sail.
Defenders
Michael Boxall, Liberato Cacace, Tyler Bindon, Finn Surman, Tommy Smith, Tim Payne, Nando Pijnaker, Bill Tuiloma.
Midfielders
Joe Bell, Marko Stamenic, Sarpreet Singh, Matthew Garbett, Elijah Just, Alex Rufer, Ben Old, Callan Elliot.
Forwards
Chris Wood, Kosta Barbarouses, Ben Waine, Logan Rogerson, Jesse Randall.
Published At: