Iran vs New Zealand 2-2: Four-Draw World Cup Day Breaks 68-Year Record Set at 1958 Sweden Tournament

A dramatic Group G opener between Iran and New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium on 16 June 2026 ended 2-2, completing a day of draws at the FIFA World Cup 2026 that has not been seen in 68 years.

The result made it four drawn matches on a single World Cup day — the first time that has occurred since 15 June 1958 at the FIFA World Cup in Sweden. Earlier in the day, Spain and Cape Verde played out a goalless stalemate, Belgium and Egypt shared a 1-1 draw, and Saudi Arabia and Uruguay also finished level at 1-1, before Iran and New Zealand added the fourth drawn result of the day.

On the pitch, New Zealand made an impressive start. Elijah Just opened the scoring in the seventh minute, completing a slick team move that involved captain Chris Wood to give the All Whites an early advantage. Iran levelled matters in the 32nd minute through Ramin Rezaeian, cancelling out New Zealand’s lead before the interval.

Just was not finished, however. The New Zealand forward grabbed his second goal of the match in the 54th minute — again assisted by Wood — to restore his side’s lead shortly after the restart. It appeared the All Whites were on course for a famous victory, but Iran demonstrated considerable resilience. Mohammad Mohebbi powered home a header in the 64th minute to make it 2-2 and ensure the spoils were shared.

The record-breaking nature of the day adds a notable statistical footnote to the 2026 edition of the tournament. The 1958 World Cup in Sweden, the last time four games on the same matchday all ended level, is also historically significant as the tournament where a 17-year-old Pelé announced himself on the global stage, with Brazil going on to lift the trophy. That the record has stood for nearly seven decades underlines how rare four simultaneous draws are in World Cup competition.

For New Zealand, the draw represents a creditable point in their World Cup Group G campaign, having come from behind and retaken the lead before being pegged back. For Iran, the point is equally significant given they conceded twice against an organised All Whites side. Just’s brace — both goals assisted by Wood — will be among the standout individual performances of the matchday.

Both sides will be looking to build on this result as Group G progresses, with each team knowing that another draw or worse could complicate their path to the knockout rounds. The Iran and New Zealand clash, alongside the other three draws of the day, means Group G and several other groups remain tightly contested at an early stage of the tournament.