New Zealand World Cup 2026 Draw With Iran As Elijah Just Scores Twice

Elijah Just scored twice for New Zealand at the World Cup and entered national history, yet left the pitch frustrated after a 2-2 draw with Iran that kept the All Whites waiting for a first victory at the tournament despite leading on two occasions in their Group G opener.

Iran answered both of Just’s goals through Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebbi, extending New Zealand’s curious World Cup record. The All Whites have now drawn four straight matches at the finals, following three earlier games that all ended in defeat, while this latest result still moved them top of Group G, with every team on one point.

Just became the first New Zealand player to score more than once in a single World Cup match, adding a personal milestone to a tense contest. New Zealand twice moved in front, but Iran increased the tempo late on and almost completed a comeback victory as pressure built in the closing stages against the tired All Whites defence.

After the match, Just reflected on the emotional impact of the performance and the wider targets for New Zealand at this World Cup. "It is a memory that'll last me for the rest of my life," Just said. "Obviously incredible. It's not something I could have even dreamt of, so I'm just so happy. One was nice, so two was amazing. It is really, really special."

Just also set the draw within the team’s long-term plan for the tournament. "We have a lot of goals coming into this tournament, and the first was to get on the board, so one point is okay. There are a lot of positives we can keep building on. We were unfortunate to miss out on the last World Cup, so being here was such an amazing feeling and, to start with a point, I think everybody is happy, but coming into the tournament our goal was to get out the group, so we're almost a little disappointed because it could have been three points."

New Zealand’s build-up had already been disturbed by the loss of midfielder Matt Garbett, who was ruled out of the entire World Cup with a hamstring injury. Despite that setback, the squad achieved its first target of taking something from the opener, yet the players left believing a bigger chance to shape Group G had slipped away.

For Iran, the result continued a consistent pattern in opening World Cup fixtures. Iran have now avoided defeat in the first match at three of their last four tournaments, with one win and two draws, the only loss in that run being the 2-6 defeat to England at the start of the 2022 campaign. Their recent scoring record on this stage has also improved sharply.

Across Iran’s last four World Cup games, this was the third time they scored at least twice, having managed that feat only once in their first 15 matches at the finals. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei praised the spectacle produced by both sides. "We're facing more hurdles, but we're not going to let that stop us from doing our best," Ghalenoei said. "I think today was one of the best games in the World Cup so far, and I think the fans really enjoyed it inside the stadium and outside the stadium."

The main tournament records from the New Zealand vs Iran World Cup match can be summarised as follows:

The contest also drew strong reaction on social media, with supporters and analysts sharing the late drama and equaliser online.

Both teams left the pitch with clear positives from a high-scoring draw. New Zealand gained a first World Cup point of this campaign, saw Just hit a new landmark, and stayed level in a tight Group G, while Iran maintained a strong record in opening matches and showed growing attacking strength at this level.