Iran vs New Zealand Player Ratings

Iran 2-2 New Zealand Player Ratings: Elijah Just 9.0/10 Historic Brace Makes World Cup History But Iran Force Dramatic Draw in Los Angeles

Mohit Tomar

Published - Jun 16, 2026, 03:07 AM

3 min

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Summary

Iran and New Zealand produced one of the World Cup's most entertaining opening-round matches, drawing 2-2 at Los Angeles Stadium as Just's historic brace was cancelled out by Rezaeian and Mohebbi's equalisers in a breathless, end-to-end Group G contest.
New Zealand led twice and looked capable of claiming their first-ever World Cup victory, yet Iran's resilience and Rezaeian's creative quality ensured the AFC side earned a point their character deserved, leaving the group genuinely wide open heading into the next round.
Elijah Just was the undisputed star at 9.0/10, his two clinical finishes making World Cup history for New Zealand and delivering a performance that will be remembered by Kiwi football fans for generations.

Los Angeles Stadium delivered the World Cup's first genuine classic, a match that swung violently in both directions, produced four goals of genuine quality, and ultimately ended in a pulsating stalemate that left both sets of supporters simultaneously elated and deflated. New Zealand drew first blood in just the seventh minute, yet nothing about this contest was ever settled for longer than it took the Iran national football team to score another equaliser.

Elijah Just was the evening's standout individual, becoming the first New Zealand player to score multiple goals at a World Cup and writing his name permanently into Kiwi football history with two clinical finishes that demonstrated both composure and technical quality well beyond expectations. Chris Wood's intelligent link-up play was the constant thread behind both goals, yet it was Just's sharp movement and finishing that caused Iran's defence the most persistent problems throughout.

Iran's character and resilience were equally impressive. Rezaeian's 33rd-minute stabbed finish and Mohebbi's perfectly placed header in the 64th minute demonstrated a collective refusal to accept defeat that will give Ghalenoei's side real belief heading into their remaining group fixtures. Both equalisers came from Rezaeian's delivery, his ability to contribute at both ends a constant reminder that Iran's quality runs deeper than just Taremi alone.

Four goals, relentless tempo, momentum shifts every 10 minutes, and a finish that left everything to play for in Group G, this was precisely the kind of World Cup spectacle that makes the tournament the most compelling sporting event on the planet, and both Iran and the New Zealand national football team played their full part in creating it. Here are Sportsdunia's Iran vs New Zealand player ratings.

Iran National Football Team Player Ratings vs New Zealand

Here are the Iran national football team player ratings vs New Zealand.

Player Name	Ratings
Alireza Beiranvand	5.3
Milad Mohammadi	6.0
Shoja Khalilzadeh	6.4
Ali Nemati	6.6
Ramin Rezaeian	8.7
Mohammad Mohebbi	8.0
Saeid Ezatolahi	6.9
Saman Ghoddos	7.2
Arya Yousefi	6.6
Mehdi Taremi	7.4
Shahriyar Moghanloo	7.2

New Zealand National Football Team Player Ratings vs Iran

Check out the New Zealand national football team player ratings vs Iran.

Player Name	Ratings
Max Crocombe	5.7
Liberato Cacace	6.4
Michael Boxall	6.4
Finn Surman	7.2
Tim Payne	6.3
Marko Stamenic	6.5
Joe Bell	6.7
Elijah Just	9.0
Sarpreet Singh	7.1
Callum McCowatt	7.2
Chris Wood	8.2

Man of the Match

Elijah Just earned his Man of the Match award by becoming the first New Zealand player to score multiple goals at a World Cup, two clinical, composed finishes. His first-time 7th-minute finish and assured 54th-minute strike, both assisted by the Nottm Forest striker Chris Wood.