Iran open campaign against New Zealand

Published: 01:06 PM,Jun 15,2026 | EDITED : 05:06 PM,Jun 15,2026

Iran's forward #18 Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh and defender #05 Milad Mohammadi take part in a training session at Carson Sports Park in Carson, California on June 14, 2026, on the eve of the 2026 World Cup football match between Iran and New Zealand. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP)

Los Angeles: Rob Woollard Iran will take center stage at the World Cup on Monday after arriving in the United States following a build-up shrouded by uncertainty due to war in the Middle East.
The Iranian squad, whose preparations have been dogged by political tensions and visa issues, face New Zealand at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, a day after touching down in California on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Sunday, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said he hoped his team's performances at the World Cup could unite all Iranians at home and overseas.
'We are here to perform a good match, a high-quality match. We don't pay attention to any of the hype and anything that goes on around us,' Ghalenoei said in response to a question from AFP.
'We are not political people... football is separate from politics,' said Ghalenoei.
Iran's World Cup debut comes just a day after Washington and Tehran announced a permanent deal to end their ongoing conflict.
'It is an amazing opportunity to show our country to the world. We are very much happy to face Spain in the opener, this is a dream coming true.'