Iran vs New Zealand
Despite their ongoing war with the United States in the Middle East, Iran agreed to play in the World Cup 2026, and Team Melli will open their finals campaign against New Zealand on Monday night at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles – a few hours after the first Team G match between Belgium and Egypt.
Amir Ghalenoei’s men initially wanted to pull out after doing well in the AFC qualifiers, which would’ve put their efforts and years of planning to waste. However, Iran had constructive talks with the FIFA delegation led by Secretary General Matthias Grafstrom in Istanbul last May, and here we are.
Winning on Monday will certainly boost their morale and chances of progressing to the next round, and it helps that the All Whites enter this match in lacklustre form. New Zealand are back in the World Cup after a 16-year absence, but they’re not expected to make a deep run in the quadrennial tournament.
Talking Points
Iran’s off-the-pitch problems won’t deter their resolve
Mehdi Taremi enters the World Cup as a man on a mission, aiming to help Iran make a deep run in the tournament. The 33-year-old striker is coming off a productive campaign with Olympiacos, having notched 10 goals and three assists in 24 league matches, and he recently bemoaned the team’s visa issues upon entering the United States.
For starters, Team Melli was forced to base itself in Mexico due to the disruption caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. 14 members of Iran’s delegation were unable to enter the United States (despite FIFA’s efforts to resolve the situation), including Iran Football Federation vice president Mehdi Mohammed Nabi. Iran also claim that FIFA had revoked its allocation of supporter tickets for matches in the United States.
Fellow forward Alireza Jahanbakhsh doubled down on Taremi’s take, saying that football has taken a back seat for the players in the past few months.
Taremi and Jahanbakhsh are expected to shoulder the scoring load for Iran, as the two forwards have 77 goals in 203 caps combined. Sardar Azmoun was notably omitted from the World Cup squad amid reports of a perceived act of disloyalty to the country’s government when he posted a photo of himself with UAE ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Can Wood regain his mojo with New Zealand?
After a standout 2024-25 season where he scored 20 league goals in the Premier League, Chris Wood’s production dipped this year due to a chronic knee injury. The 34-year-old had a long layoff after having surgery in December, but is expected to be good to go for New Zealand.
At 6’3″, Wood is a handful for centre-backs with his imposing presence. He is the All Whites’ all-time leading scorer and caps leader with 45 goals in 90 internationals, making him an invaluable member of Darren Bazeley’s side.
New Zealand fans will also watch Liberato Cacace closely, as the 25-year-old wing-back is one of the most promising young defenders in the world today.
History
Monday marks only the third competitive meeting between Iran and New Zealand, with both of their previous encounters being exhibition matches. These two teams first met in August 1973, with the match ending in a goalless draw. 30 years later, Iran won 3-0 in October 2003 during the AFC-OFC Challenge Cup held in Tehran.
Iran have been regulars in the World Cup in recent years, having qualified six of the last eight editions. However, they’ve never made it out of the group stage. As for New Zealand, this is only their third appearance in the finals and first since 2010.
Both teams enter this match in contrasting form. Iran have won three of their last five (L2), while New Zealand have only won one of their last five (L4).
Betting Tip
Iran will likely get their first three points of the quadrennial tournament on Monday evening, per the World Cup 2026 odds. Team Melli is at 1.85 to win, while the All Whites are 4.50 underdogs, and a draw is at 3.36 in the 1X2 market.
Given their stronger weaponry, Iran will likely take over the World Cup 2026 highlights reel in this contest. Besides our recommended bet, SBOTOP bettors may also want to consider adding Over 2.00 at 1.79, Over 2.25 at 2.09, Over 2.50 at 2.38, and Total Goals 2-3 at 1.99 to the parlay. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 3-0 in favour of Team Melli – the result of their last encounter – might be a long shot at 15.50 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
