Four matches, four draws. The latest matchday at the FIFA World Cup 2026 delivered another dramatic contest as Iran battled back twice to secure a 2-2 draw against New Zealand in a captivating Group G encounter.

New Zealand stunned their opponents inside the opening seven minutes. Captain Chris Wood showed excellent composure in the penalty area before laying the ball into the path of Elijah Just, who produced a clinical finish into the roof of the net to give the All Whites an early lead.

The goal unsettled Iran, but the Asian side gradually found their rhythm and began to control larger periods of possession. Their persistence was rewarded in the 32nd minute when experienced defender Ramin Rezaeian arrived at the right place at the right time to restore parity and send the teams into the interval level at 1-1.

The second half began in remarkably similar fashion to the first. Once again, Chris Wood was at the heart of the action. The striker held up play superbly, attracted multiple defenders and slipped a perfectly timed pass through to Elijah Just, who calmly converted to put New Zealand back in front.

The goal was not only crucial for the match but also historic. By scoring twice, Elijah Just became the first player in New Zealand history to score two goals in a single match at the final stage of a FIFA World Cup, securing his place in the nation's football record books.

Yet Iran refused to surrender. Driven forward by an energetic crowd and the urgency of the situation, they pushed aggressively in search of another equaliser.

The breakthrough arrived just ten minutes later. This time, Ramin Rezaeian turned provider, delivering the decisive pass for Mohammad Mohebi, who finished confidently to make it 2-2 and complete another impressive Iranian comeback.

Both sides continued to search for a winner during the closing stages, but neither could find the decisive breakthrough as the points were ultimately shared.

World Cup 2026

Iran - New Zealand 2:2 (1:1)
Goals: Just, 7 (0:1); Rezaeian, 32 (1:1); Just, 54 (1:2); Mohebi, 64 (2:2)

Iran: Beiranvand; Yousefi (Ghayedi, 46); Khalilzadeh; Nemati; Mohammadi; Rezaeian; Ezatolahi; Mohebi; Ghoddos (Hajsafi, 65); Taremi (Hosseinzadeh, 80); Moghanlou (Alipour, 53)
Substitution: Ghayedi (from 46); Alipour (from 53); Hajsafi (from 65); Hosseinzadeh (from 80)
Bench: Niazmand; Hosseini Hossein; Hardani; Kanaani; Eiri; Cheshmi; Ghorbani; Razzaghinia; Torabi; Jahanbakhsh; Eckert
Yellow Cards: Hajsafi 89

New Zealand: Crocombe; Payne (Elliot C., 78); Boxall; Surman; Cacace (Old, 68); Bell J.; Stamenic (Bindon, 92); Singh S. (Randall, 92); Just; McCowatt (Thomas R., 68); Wood C.
Substitution: Thomas R. (from 68); Old (from 68); Elliot C. (from 78); Bindon (from 92); Randall (from 92)
Bench: Paulsen; Woud M.; Pijnaker; Smith T.; De Vries Fr.; Rufer; Bayliss; Barbarouses; Waine