2026 World Cup: Iran salvages a draw with New Zealand amid political tension on and off the pitch; Uruguay stumbles against Saudi Arabia

Soccer, like any sport, usually serves as an escape from reality, a chance to support your team and have fun (or rather, suffer) for ninety minutes and change, especially during a World Cup hosted by FIFA. However, for Iran, this was not the case. From the press conference of Iranian star Mehdi Taremi, who had to insist that he would only answer political questions, to the demonstrations inside and outside the stadium in support of the Iranian team and in rejection of the Tehran theocracy, the New Zealand vs. Iran match ended up being more of a political event than a sporting one. A logical outcome given the host country—the United States—everything that happened leading up to the tournament’s start, including the possibility of Iran’s exclusion, and the delicate geopolitical situation in the Middle East, just 24 hours after President Donald Trump had announced a peace agreement was about to be signed.

In the end, on the field, the Iranian team rose to the occasion, coming back twice in a match that slipped through New Zealand’s fingers.

The Oceanic side, thanks to Elijah Just and Chris Wood, took the lead twice in the match in the 7th and 55th minutes, but the Persian team, far from giving up and driven by its fans—who packed Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium— tied the score twice thanks to fullback Ramin Rezaeian (32') and right midfielder Mohammad Mohebi (64'). In the final minutes, Iran even looked better and fresher than New Zealand, creating several dangerous chances that could have led to a major comeback in their World Cup debut.

The match, quite exciting from a sporting standpoint, also had a tense political atmosphere. Outside the stadium, there were protests against the Iranian regime, the U.S. government, the recent agreement announced by Trump, as well as the massacres of protesters in Iran and the bombing that led to the deaths of 168 Iranian girls. Inside and outside the stadium, many people were also seen raising the old Iranian flag, better known as the Lion and Sun flag. Many rejected the new emblem on the current Iranian flag imposed by the Ayatollah after the Islamic Revolution. Likewise, during the national anthem, the crowd wavered between applause and boos, creating a heated atmosphere even before the opening whistle.

Iran, which is in Group G, will play its next match on Sunday the 21st against the group favorite, Belgium, which could only manage a draw against the combative, organized, and surprising Egypt, which could even have won the match with a little more precision.

Uruguay falls short against Saudi Arabia

Before the tense match between Iran and New Zealand, another South American team, the two-time world champion Uruguay, made its debut against Saudi Arabia and only barely salvaged a draw with an 80th-minute goal by Maximiliano Araújo.

The Saudi team, which in the previous World Cup had defeated Argentina 1-2 in their debut (Argentina went on to win that tournament), took the lead just before halftime thanks to center back Abdulelah Al-Amri. From that point on, Uruguay tried every possible means to find the equalizer and, finally, managed to do so, coming within a hair’s breadth of the first victory for the South American teams.

Of the Spanish-speaking teams or the American continent as a whole, only two from CONCACAF, Mexico and the United States, have won their matches. Of the rest, Canada and Brazil drew their matches, while Ecuador and Paraguay lost to Ivory Coast and the U.S. itself, respectively. Spain also could not get past a draw against lowly Cape Verde. Tomorrow, defending champion Argentina will make its debut, looking to reverse its poor record against a dangerous Algeria.