MUNDIAL·26

First Stage · Group G · Tuesday, June 16 · Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles · 70,108 in the stands

kickoff 18:00 local · 20°C · 79% humidity · roofed stadium

IR Iran

32′ Ramin REZAEIAN (pen)

64′ Mohammad MOHEBBI (pen)

2:2

New Zealand

7′ Elijah JUST (pen)

54′ Elijah JUST (pen)

tap a player for their match file

IR Iran4-4-2
New Zealand4-2-3-1
Alireza BEIRANVAND6.7Shoja KHALILZADEH5.9Milad MOHAMMADI5.9Arya YOUSEFI7.0Ali NEMATI6.7Ramin REZAEIAN8.7Saeid EZATOLAHI6.7Mohammad MOHEBBI7.5Saman GHODDOS6.8Mehdi TAREMI7.1Shahriyar MOGHANLOO6.6Max CROCOMBE6.2Tim PAYNE6.2Michael BOXALL6.8Liberato CACACE6.1Finn SURMAN7.7Joe BELL6.9Marko STAMENIC7.0Sarpreet SINGH7.2Elijah JUST9.0Callum McCOWATT7.2Chris WOOD8.5
from the bench

match pulse — xG per 5 minutes · goals · cards

45′90′IRNNZL

goals — hover the strip for every shot and card, with names

  • 7′Just0.11 xG
  • 32′Rezaeian0.35 xG
  • 55′Just0.20 xG
  • 64′Mohebi0.28 xG
IRN 0:0 NZL0'kickoff
6' Yousefi — xG 0.05 · Saved7' Just — xG 0.11 · Goal12' Singh — xG 0.11 · Missed14' Stamenic — xG 0.04 · Blocked14' McCowatt — xG 0.02 · Missed15' Wood — xG 0.10 · Blocked19' Singh — xG 0.03 · Saved23' Taremi — xG 0.13 · Post29' Ghoddoos — xG 0.08 · Missed30' Cacace — xG 0.02 · Saved30' Ghoddoos — xG 0.05 · Missed32' Moghanlou — xG 0.10 · Blocked32' Rezaeian — xG 0.35 · Goal45' Wood — xG 0.04 · Saved45 + 1' McCowatt — xG 0.02 · Saved47' Wood — xG 0.03 · Missed45 + 3' Moghanlou — xG 0.06 · Missed49' Ghayedi — xG 0.03 · Blocked51' Moghanlou — xG 0.04 · Missed55' Just — xG 0.20 · Goal61' Singh — xG 0.02 · Saved64' Mohebi — xG 0.28 · Goal73' Mohebi — xG 0.03 · Blocked76' Hajsafi — xG 0.03 · Blocked80' Taremi — xG 0.07 · Missed81' Surman — xG 0.45 · Missed85' Alipour — xG 0.06 · Blocked85' Ezatolahi — xG 0.03 · Missed87' Ezatolahi — xG 0.03 · Saved89' Nemati — xG 0.08 · Missed90 + 3' Wood — xG 0.05 · Saved

▶ Watch every shot in 3D⟲ Replay the match

The xG race — cumulative expected goals, minute by minute

IRN 0:0 NZL
1.00′15′30′45′60′75′90′7' Just — GOAL32' Rezaeian — GOAL55' Just — GOAL64' Mohebi — GOAL1.501.24

On paper vs as played — formation sheet vs heatmap reality

IRN 4-4-2 attack →, ← NZL 4-2-3-1 attack. The teamsheet, as announced.

1Alireza BEIRANVANDAlireza BEIRANVAND4Shoja KHALILZADEHShoja KHALILZADEH5Milad MOHAMMADIMilad MOHAMMADI17Arya YOUSEFIArya YOUSEFI19Ali NEMATIAli NEMATI23Ramin REZAEIANRamin REZAEIAN6Saeid EZATOLAHISaeid EZATOLAHI8Mohammad MOHEBBIMohammad MOHEBBI14Saman GHODDOSSaman GHODDOS9Mehdi TAREMIMehdi TAREMI20Shahriyar MOGHANLOOShahriyar MOGHANLOO1Max CROCOMBEMax CROCOMBE2Tim PAYNETim PAYNE5Michael BOXALLMichael BOXALL13Liberato CACACELiberato CACACE16Finn SURMANFinn SURMAN6Joe BELLJoe BELL8Marko STAMENICMarko STAMENIC10Sarpreet SINGHSarpreet SINGH11Elijah JUSTElijah JUST20Callum McCOWATTCallum McCOWATT9Chris WOODChris WOOD

The duel — team data, FIFA tracking included

43%
Possession
45%
1.85
Expected goals
1.47
51
Threat
49
17
Shots
14
4
On target
8
333
Passes completed
378
46
Forced turnovers
47
12.9s
Ball recovery time
12.9s
3.84
High-press phases
5.18
8
Fouls committed
10
2
Offsides
0
113 km
Distance covered
113 km
32.6 km/h
Top speed
32.4 km/h

Territory — where each team lived

Every player's heatmap, minutes-weighted and stacked per team. IR Iran attack →, ← New Zealand attack. Brighter is more presence; where the colors meet is the contested ground.

How it happened

  1. 7′Elijah JUST (New Zealand) scores!!
  2. 32′Ramin REZAEIAN (IR Iran) scores!!
  3. ′Before the second half begins Mehdi GHAYEDI (in) comes off the bench to replace Arya YOUSEFI (out) (IR Iran)
  4. 53′Ali ALIPOUR (in) comes off the bench to replace Shahriyar MOGHANLOO (out) (IR Iran)
  5. 54′Elijah JUST (New Zealand) scores!!
  6. 64′Mohammad MOHEBBI (IR Iran) scores!!
  7. 65′Ehsan HAJISAFI (in) comes off the bench to replace Saman GHODDOS (out) (IR Iran)
  8. 68′Ryan THOMAS (in) comes off the bench to replace Callum McCOWATT (out) (New Zealand)
  9. 68′Ben OLD (in) comes off the bench to replace Liberato CACACE (out) (New Zealand)
  10. 77′Callan ELLIOT (in) comes off the bench to replace Tim PAYNE (out) (New Zealand)
  11. 80′Amirhossein HOSSEINZADEH (in) comes off the bench to replace Mehdi TAREMI (out) (IR Iran)
  12. 89′Ehsan HAJISAFI (IR Iran) is booked by the referee.
  13. 90+2′Jesse RANDALL (in) comes off the bench to replace Sarpreet SINGH (out) (New Zealand)
  14. 90+2′Tyler BINDON (in) comes off the bench to replace Marko STAMENIC (out) (New Zealand)

The morning-after column · AI-written from the match data

Neither breaks through as Iran and New Zealand draw in LA

A pulsing Group G opener where Iran's volume met New Zealand's precision—neither prevailed. The Iranians dominated possession and shots (17 total), yet shot with staggering inaccuracy (4 on target). New Zealand, operating in a 4-2-3-1 shape, was surgical: 8 on target from 14 attempts. Twice the visitors took leads; twice Iran clawed back. The turning point arrived at 81 minutes: New Zealand missed a clear 0.45 xG chance that would have settled the contest. Instead, the afternoon ended as it began: even.

The numbers justify the stalemate. Iran's xG advantage (1.85 to 1.47) meant nothing against New Zealand's ruthlessness in front of goal. Elijah Just (9.0 rating) orchestrated the visitors' transitions perfectly; Ramin Rezaeian (8.7) and Mehdi Taremi (7.1) carried Iran's attacks. Both teams recovered possession identically (12.9 seconds) and forced similar turnovers (46-47). New Zealand's more aggressive pressing (5.2 phases vs Iran's 3.8) created space but no breakthrough. Dominance without finishing produces draws—a symmetry both teams will study hard.

Iran's 17 shots yielded four on target; New Zealand's eight from 14 could not break through—matched futility and precision producing a draw.

81′

New Zealand's clear-cut miss—the moment victory slipped away

What IR Iran needed

Precision defeats volume; shooting at 24% accuracy is self-sabotage.

  • Conversion: 4 on target from 17 shots (24%) costly; 30% efficiency yields a winner.
  • Press tempo: 3.8 high-press phases vs New Zealand's 5.2 surrendered initiative early.
  • Rezaeian (8.7): excellent fullback creates; strikers must finish his crosses to win games.

What New Zealand needed

Elite efficiency (57%) nearly stole it; the 81st minute cost them dearly.

  • Efficiency: 8 on target from 14 (57%) elite; one more goal in 90 wins.
  • Just (9.0): orchestrated transitions brilliantly; his midfield control nearly won the game.
  • 81' clear chance (0.45 xG): miss it, draw; convert it, victory—fine margins.