Pre-match information
Before the confrontation with Iran, only one player in the New Zealand squad had two-digit international goals for the national team. This raised doubts about the scoring ability of the Oceania representative when they were too dependent on Chris Wood, the striker who scored 45 goals for New Zealand before the 2026 World Cup.
However, Elijah Just quickly gave the answer. Just 7 minutes after the opening match, he opened the scoring and scored his 10th goal in the national team jersey.
After Iran equalized in the 30th minute, Just continued to shine with the second goal in the 54th minute to put New Zealand ahead again. However, the Oceania team still could not maintain the advantage when Mohammad Mohebi scored the equalizer 2-2 for Iran just 10 minutes later.
This draw helped New Zealand extend their unbeaten streak at the World Cup to 4 consecutive matches. However, it is noteworthy that all 4 of those matches ended in a draw, spanning from the 2010 World Cup to the 2026 World Cup.
However, the performance against Iran brought many positive signs. After 16 years of returning to the World Cup stage, New Zealand shows that they are getting closer to their first victory at the biggest football festival on the planet.
Meanwhile, Egypt also has reason to regret after the 1-1 draw against Belgium on their opening day.
Emam Ashour's beautiful long-range shot in the 20th minute, after Mohamed Salah's assist, helped the North African representative take the lead. However, despite creating many opportunities to increase the gap, Hossam Hassan's team still could not keep all 3 points when they let Belgium equalize in the second half.
However, the performance against Belgium brought great confidence to Egypt before the clash with New Zealand in Vancouver.
The team that has been seven times African champion is aiming for their first victory in World Cup history after nine appearances. To do that, Hossam Hassan is trying to build a team that is less dependent on Mohamed Salah.
