Iran began its emotionally charged World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 2-2 draw against New Zealand on Monday night, rallying from behind twice before Mohammad Mohebbi scored the equaliser in the 64th minute.

Ramin Rezaeian played a pivotal role for Iran, finding the net in the first half and later providing the assist for Mohebbi’s goal. The Iranian team has endured a turbulent build-up to the tournament following the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran that erupted on February 28. Despite requesting that its group-stage matches be moved away from the United States, Iran ultimately participated after FIFA declined the proposal.

As a result, Iran shifted its tournament base from Arizona to Tijuana in Mexico. The team has adopted a demanding schedule, flying into the United States only a day before each match and returning immediately afterward. Captain Mehdi Taremi admitted the circumstances have made this World Cup particularly challenging, with much of the joy usually associated with football overshadowed by external events.

Team Melli opened its campaign at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran. The atmosphere was mixed before kickoff, with hundreds of Iranian Americans protesting against the government outside the venue. Inside the stadium, some supporters turned their backs and jeered during the national anthem, although the vast majority backed the players wholeheartedly once the match got underway.

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New Zealand took the lead early in both halves through Elijah Just, but Iran responded on each occasion to deny the All Whites a historic World Cup victory. Nevertheless, New Zealand achieved a notable result against an opponent ranked 65 places above them in the FIFA rankings and matched the total number of goals they had scored across their previous two World Cup appearances combined.

The lively crowd was stunned in the seventh minute when New Zealand captain Chris Wood intercepted a goal kick and helped create the opening goal. The move ended with Just producing an excellent volley amid a crowded penalty area.

Iran gradually settled into the contest and levelled in the 32nd minute through Rezaeian, who delicately chipped the ball into the net with the outside of his boot. Just struck again in the 54th minute, benefiting from another intelligent contribution by Wood, who held up possession before finding his teammate for a shot that squeezed through traffic.

Iran responded once more ten minutes later when Rezaeian delivered a perfectly weighted long ball onto the head of Mohebbi, who made no mistake with the finish. Both sides created opportunities during the closing stages but were unable to find a winner.

At the final whistle, players from both teams exchanged handshakes and embraces, with some even swapping jerseys. While coach Amir Ghalenoei remained seated alone in the dugout, the Iranian players walked around the stadium together, applauding their passionate supporters waving flags and cheering loudly from the stands.

Ranked 20th in the world, Iran is appearing in its seventh World Cup and fourth in succession. Despite its consistent qualification record, Team Melli has never progressed beyond the group stage.

New Zealand, meanwhile, returned to the World Cup for the first time since 2010 after securing Oceania’s automatic qualification spot following the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams. The All Whites entered the competition as the lowest-ranked side in the field, sitting 85th in the FIFA rankings.