New Zealand open World Cup 2026 against Iran in Los Angeles

World Cup opener against Iran tonight

After 16 years away, New Zealand are back. The All Whites face Iran in the Group G opener at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (1) (2). Kickoff is Monday evening.

Iran come in with firepower. Mehdi Taremi, Mohammad Mohebi, Mehdi Ghayedi, and Alireza Jahanbakhsh all expected to feature under Amir Ghalenoei (1) (3). The first World Cup match for New Zealand since the unbeaten 2010 campaign in South Africa.

Thomas on football's rise back home

Ryan Thomas did not sugarcoat it. "Everyone laughed at you, because in their eyes you play a pussy sport," the New Zealand captain said, reflecting on growing up with football in a rugby country (5).

He now sees the shift. Football is gaining respect, and Thomas is about to lead his country onto the sport's biggest stage for the first time.

Stamenic playing for his father

Marko Stamenic carries something deeper into this tournament. The Swansea City midfielder is dedicating his World Cup to his late father (6). His first World Cup match arrives Monday.

Fan-reaktioner

Kiwi fans are soaking it in. The r/soccer preview series calls back to 2010, when New Zealand went unbeaten through the group and left South Africa as the only team not to lose a match. Now the question is whether this squad can chase down that elusive first World Cup win, 16 years later. A quiet note of history: next week's meeting with Egypt will be the first World Cup clash ever between an OFC side and a CAF side.