Author name: Valerie

England defeated Croatia 4-2 in Group L to begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with an impressive attacking performance.

France defeated Senegal 3-1 in Group I to begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign with an important opening-round victory.

Belgium recovered from an early deficit to draw 1-1 with Egypt in Group G, with Romelu Lukaku’s introduction helping spark the equalizing goal.

Iran came from behind on two occasions to secure a 2-2 draw with New Zealand in their opening Group G match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on 15 June. The entertaining contest in Los Angeles saw New Zealand twice take the lead before Iran responded to claim a point from their first match of the tournament. New Zealand made a confident start and opened the scoring through Elijah Just, who finished a move created by captain Chris Wood. Iran responded before halftime when Ramin Rezaeian found the equalizer, ensuring the teams went into the break level. The second half continued at a high tempo. New Zealand regained the advantage when Elijah Just scored his second goal of the match, once again giving the Oceania side the lead and putting them on course for a memorable World Cup victory. Iran refused to fall behind permanently and responded through Mohammad Mohebi, who scored the team’s second equalizer. Both sides pushed for a winner during the closing stages, but neither could find a decisive breakthrough. The draw earned each nation a point in Group G and left qualification hopes firmly alive heading into the next round of matches. For New Zealand, the result was encouraging after twice leading against higher-ranked opposition, while Iran showed resilience by recovering from deficits on two separate occasions. The match was one of the most competitive contests of the opening group-stage fixtures, with both teams producing attacking football and creating chances throughout the evening. Standout Performances • Elijah Just scored both of New Zealand’s goals.• Chris Wood provided two assists for New Zealand.• Ramin Rezaeian scored Iran’s first equalizer.• Mohammad Mohebi scored Iran’s second equalizer.• Iran recovered from behind twice to secure a point. Turning Point New Zealand appeared on course for victory after taking the lead for a second time through Elijah Just. However, Iran responded once again, with Mohammad Mohebi’s equalizer ensuring the match remained level and preventing New Zealand from securing all three points. Match Statistics Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026 Stage: Group G Date: 15 June 2026 Venue: Los Angeles Stadium, Los Angeles, United States Final Score: Iran 2-2 New Zealand Half-Time Score: Iran 1-1 New Zealand Goals Iran:• Ramin Rezaeian• Mohammad Mohebi New Zealand:• Elijah Just (2) Points Earned • Iran: 1• New Zealand: 1 Sources • FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Match Centre• Reuters Match Report• Official FIFA Tournament Coverage

Japan fought back twice to secure a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in Group F, with Daichi Kamada’s late goal earning a valuable World Cup point.