New Zealand took the lead in the 15th minute as Finn Surman’s header from the centre found the target. He was assisted by Tim Payne with a cross following a corner.
The Group H match between Egypt and New Zealand is under way at the BC Place Vancouver in Vancouver, on June 22, 2026.
Midfielder Emam Ashour scored his first international goal, which was cancelled out in 66th minute after Romelu Lukaku forced an own goal by the Pharoahs and prevented Egypt from winning their first game in their fourth World Cup appearance.
Elijah Just scored early in each half for New Zealand, but Iran responded twice to keep the All Whites winless in their World Cup history. New Zealand still matched its entire goal total from each of its two previous World Cup runs while posting an impressive result against a team ranked 65 places higher by FIFA.
The FIFA World Cup began on June 10 and ends with the final on July 20.
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