All Whites at the FIFA World Cup: Game Tahi vs Iran
In 1982, the objective was simply to get to a first World Cup amidst an absolute odyssey in qualifying. In 2010, it was time to show that New Zealand belonged at that level by grinding out some results. In 2026, it’s not only about getting back to the World Cup, it’s not only about getting results, it’s also about showing the wider planet that New Zealand can do those things while playing genuinely exciting and attacking football. From participation to validation to celebration.
Heading into the unknown of the opening game against Iran, that more expansive playing style was something to be pensive about. This All Whites team hasn’t done a whole lot on the international stage. They’ve barely even had the opportunity – with no intercontinental playoff to go through this time, it meant that New Zealand’s only matches against non-Oceania opposition during this World Cup cycle came in friendly fixtures. Those are the games where Chris Wood gets subbed after an hour to protect him for his Premier League club. Those are the games where you can’t be sure the other team is giving it hundies. Wins against Ivory Coast and Chile during that time were hugely encouraging but could the All Whites deliver when it mattered most? Did this relatively young squad have the grit and grind required to get results at a World Cup? Could they summon that extra 10%, that passionate desperation, that an underdog team needs?
We couldn’t know these things in advance because this team had never been put in such a situation before. Against Iran they were... and after a shaky first five minutes they scored a spectacular team goal and later scored an equally brilliant second and now here we are basking in a 2-2 draw against Iran and even pondering whether we might have missed an opportunity, given how they came to winning a first ever World Cup match. The combinations were sublime but the steeliness was there too. Chris Wood led by example with a captain’s knock that drew everyone else out of their shell, also providing a masterclass in hold-up play in the process. The game plan was tight. The effort and intensity were honestly superb. This is what All Whites football looks like in the year 2026.
Admittedly, in a fortnight we might be glancing back at this result as the one that got away. New Zealand led twice and weren’t able to hang on either time. Now they’ve gotta play Egypt and Belgium who have had far less disruptive preparations than the Iranians whose squad is largely domestic and whose domestic league was halted three months ago due to, you know, the active war in that nation. Not to mention their visa problems, having to base themselves in Mexico and fly in and out of America for their games. The AWs will probably need a win to get out of the group and this was their best bet.
But let’s not be too hasty. We might also be looking back on this game as a turning point for football in Aotearoa after Chris Wood and Elijah Just combined for two sumptuous goals within a courageous team-wide effort that contributed to one of the games of the tournament thus far. The All Whites wanted to show the world that they’ve got ballers, not just bruisers, and they did. Keep in mind that this style of play was something that the players really pushed for. Darren Bazeley has been a collaborative coach throughout the process but it was the playing group who wanted the room to express themselves on the pitch, the freedom to roam outside their positions, the empowerment to give it a bloody good crack out there.
And, sure, that does lead to a few vulnerabilities. The All Whites have consistently stuck with a 4-2-3-1 formation under Bazeley’s tenure, one which usually sees them switch to a 4-4-2 out of possession. The attacking midfielder pushes up alongside the striker and the two wingers drop deeper and wider. It was no different here...
That’s all well and good but with those wingers often drifting around trying to link up when NZ has the ball, and the fullbacks required to push high and provide the width, they can’t always flick the switch between one shape and the other as quickly as they’d like. Rest defence can be an issue. Vulnerabilities ensue in transitional phases. Haiti exploited that ruthlessly in that friendly a few weeks ago by capitalising on the lack of Joe Bell that day. Iran also looked super dangerous with midfielders capable of carrying the ball forward at speed after NZ turnovers. It’s a risk that Bazeley’s team takes because of the benefits it allows in the other direction... but you’ve always gotta be aware of your limitations.
Both goals that New Zealand conceded came from high quality attacks. The way that Ramin Rezaeian followed his pass angling in from the right wing and then jumped on the rebound off Surman’s initial block had some fortune about it but there was no catastrophic error from the All Whites there. Just a couple little things and some bad luck. Same with Mohammad Mohebi’s goal where NZ’s compact OOP shape was punished by a fast shift and superb cross and a slight bit of confusion between the NZ centre-backs but also a brilliant header that went in off the post. Another weakness the kiwis do have is with that narrow back four, we’ve seen it a few times before, but that’s not down to any mistakes either... it’s just one of those things where you can’t cover every potential threat. You’ve only got eleven men to distribute around the field. Gotta pick and choose what to prioritise and the Bazeley Era All Whites would rather take the risk out wide than through the middle. Iran still had to be very good to pick them off like they did.
This is an Iran team that has qualified for the last four World Cups in a row and six of the previous eight. They’ve beaten USA (2-1 in 1998), Morocco (1-0 in 2018), and Wales (2-0 in 2022)... and should be plotting for a first venture beyond the group stage. This result does them some damage in that quest – although neither Egypt nor Belgium looked amazing in their 1-1 draw earlier in the day. Reputations suggest they should be a step up, especially defensively but perhaps not as much as we might have feared? Eh, we can cross that bridge when we come to it. We just witnessed ninety minutes of champagne football from a team with silver ferns on their chest and we’re allowed to bask in that for a few days.
Player By Player
Max Crocombe – Pretty steady without having a lot to do... gave everyone a scare after the first half hydration break when he bumped a bloke over in the box and then dwelled on the ball too long (that happened a few times with a few different players where NZ took too long moving the ball at the back against the Iranian press) but also deserves mad praise for how he was picking out The Woodsman with those long balls. Crocombe’s passing has often been viewed as his weakness but he’s improved heaps in the last two years… and having a world class hold up man to aim for always helps. Crocs completed four passes to Chris Wood, only Eli Just (5) linked up with the big man more.
Tim Payne – The one current A-League player in the starting line-up and the intensity was tough for him, can’t lie. Made a few mistakes and often looked like he was hanging on but there’s a reason he’s our best right-back and the workrate was crazy. Now all of a sudden they’re talking about a move to Olimpia in Paraguay... bloody hell.
Finn Surman – Immense at the back winning headers and blocking shots, aka the typical Finn Surman performance. It’s those qualities that made him a lock in this starting eleven where his freaky anticipation (and bravery) could be the difference between a draw and a loss. One of the best on the pitch. If T-Payne can get himself a move to a Copa Sudamericana club off the back of this then Surman ought to be signing with PSG any day now. What a player.
Michael Boxall – Picked alongside Surman for his experience and mostly delivered, though was a little slow to react for both goals and could have moved the ball a bit quicker in those build-ups too. But without having the highlight plays that Surman did, Boxy’s defensive numbers were equally good. Nobody regained possession more than Boxy did in this game.
Liberato Cacace – Kinda quiet from Libby, to be honest. Short on match fitness and maybe didn’t want to stretch things out too much. He played well but it just seemed like he was missing that Cacace Burst… he didn’t even make a single nutmeg. Then again he had to mark Iran’s most threatening player. Cacace got through 68 minutes which is the most he’s played since February.
Joe Bell – In his usual understated manner he was absolutely fantastic, shielding the backline and getting the ball moving. Didn’t allow any time for the Iran midfielders. Covered 11.5 kilometres of running, the most of anyone in the match. Always makes good decisions with the ball. As dependable as it gets... and we saw against Haiti what a huge hole it leaves when he’s not there.
Marko Stamenić – This guy was everywhere, dropping in to collect the ball from the defenders and making overlapping runs into the penalty area and everything in between. Stam is at his best when he’s playing at a quicker tempo like this. World Cup leader in telling blokes to get back up after going down softly too.
Callum McCowatt – Got the call-up to start after Garbett’s injury and brought his usual high-effort output. Less involved in the chances than the other forwards but put just as much into it. It was a combined effort between the three guys supporting Wood, all of whom pressed hard and interchanged and continually showed for the ball.
Sarpreet Singh – For some reason, Singh has become a very divisive figure within the fanbase. Lots of short-term memories there. He had the same problem here as against England, getting pushed off the ball too often, but it was a much better performance overall as he covered all sorts of ground and played key roles in the moves for both goals. Fitness was mad for a bloke who has barely played for six months.
Elijah Just – The in-form player in this squad after a stunning season with Motherwell and he let ‘em all know about it. Chris Wood is the one guy that most overseas pundits have heard of but if this team is built in anyone’s image then it’s Eli Just. He doesn’t stop moving – he made 70 sprints during this game! – and always offers smart decisions on the ball. Took his two goals emphatically. Celtic and Rangers were already thirsting over this dude months ago so imagine the kind of transfer interest he’ll be getting after that performance.
Chris Wood – Lionel Messi’s left foot. Chris Wood’s chest. Astonishing how much room the Iranian team kept giving the Woodsman (particularly for the first goal) but it was also astonishing how smoothly he was bringing those balls down. His hold-up play provided the All Whites with an anchor up top and he linked really nicely with the runners around him – including assisting both goals. Led by example as the captain and main man. Superb performance... becoming the first NZer to appear in four World Cup matches. He’s undefeated in those four games, by the way.
Ryan Thomas – On for the last quarter of the match in a role he probably would have been starting in had he not been injured during the build-up. Brings a level of poise and energy which was needed at a time when the guys around him were starting to tire and Iran were threatening for a winner. Was initially chucked on as the CAM, then finished in a deeper midfield role after Stamenić was replaced. It’ll be hard to alter the starting team after that but Thommo remains a crucial figure. Might even work out better having his guile on the pitch in the latter stages, who knows. He won an absolutely essential defensive header near the end.
Ben Old – With Cacace short on minutes, he capped out around the second half ad break and on came Ben Old in a difficult position up against Ramin Rezaeian. Further evidence that Old has overtaken Francis de Vries as the reserve left-back - and the main reason for that is his athleticism. Old hit the fastest recorded pace of any NZer in this game (32.4 km/h). Second place on that list, believe it or not, was Marko Stamenić.
Callan Elliot – Did what he needed to do for about a dozen minutes tag-teaming at RB after T-Payne emptied the tank. Ran heaps and ran fast. Held his position. Didn’t do anything on the ball but that’s fine.
Tyler Bindon – On in stoppage time as NZ finished in a back three, though his introduction was more about giving the team another aerial threat than it was about parking the bus. Becomes the first NZ multi-generational World Cup rep following in mum Jenny Bindon’s footsteps (she played for the Football Ferns in 2007 and 2011).
Jesse Randall – Another very late cameo, no time to do much though he did whip in one smart floated cross. This was a World Cup debut for a bloke who was playing for Wellington Olympic two years ago. He’ll be playing for Dundee United next. What a journey.
Selections... and Matt Garbett
Turns out the eleven we saw against England was Darren Bazeley’s intended starting line-up after all. Max Crocombe got the nod over Alex Paulsen in goal. Michael Boxall over Tyler Bindon in central defence. Sarpreet Singh started with Ryan Thomas only fit enough to partake from the bench. The only change from that game to this game was that Matthew Garbett has had to dip out of the squad entirely after collecting a very untimely hamstring injury two days before the match. At least he was able to stick around with the team and soak up that first game... he’s been replaced in the squad by Logan Rogerson.
They announced that change a couple hours before the game but they must have filed the official documents the day before because you can only make a change to the squad outside of 24 hours from kickoff of your first game. Devastating for Garbs who was going to start (in place of Callum McCowatt) and now will have to wait four more years for a chance to feature at a World Cup. Could affect his transfer situation too, with Peterborough having hinted they’ll accept bids if there are enough zeroes in the fee. He’s had a few rough breaks in his career, such as when he got iced out of the NAC Breda squad because the coach didn’t think he fitted his conservative approach, but this takes the cake. Gutted for Garbs – whose unique all-action style would have been a nice counterpoint to some of our other forwards, especially in the defensive areas with his tracking and his bigger frame. We’ve got others who can do what he does in the attacking third (though his absence bruises our depth) but nobody’s gonna make a fifty metre dash back to shut down a counter-attack like Garbs would. Alas, so it goes.
The fact that Rogerson has been called up tells us a bit about how Garbett was going to be used. He was on the right wing against England and they’ve picked a right winger to replace him. Could have grabbed a midfielder like Owen Parker-Price (or even Cam Howieson) but they didn’t do that because Garbett wasn’t picked as a midfielder so the midfield stocks haven’t been affected. Rogerson is quite different to Garbett though. Much more of a straight-line runner. Didn’t have a great season for Auckland FC in terms of his goal contributions though he does provide very good and underrated defensive mahi. Don’t expect him to get on the pitch but it’s nice to have options. If they want to manufacture something closer to Garbett’s style of play from within the squad then obviously Callum McCowatt stands to benefit most but let’s keep an eye on whether this gives Lachlan Bayliss an extra little window.
Bazeley used all five available substitutions, though two weren’t made until stoppages. The warm-up games reminded everyone that there’s a gap between our best players and our depth players so don’t expect too much rotation along the way. Francis de Vries, Alex Paulsen, Alex Rufer, Nando Pijnaker, Kosta Barbarouses, Ben Waine, Michael Woud, Lachlan Bayliss, Tommy Smith, and obviously Logan Rogerson (who was still travelling over) were the ten players who didn’t get on the pitch during this game.
Bits And Pieces
Darren Bazeley: “I thought it was a really strong performance. The whole day was good. You know, it's a really good atmosphere, good stadium, good pitch, and thought the game was really good. Two good teams playing good football. I thought we created lots of chances to score, had some really good possession, and we've maybe taken a few people by surprise in showing who we are and the football that we can play. Some very good players in our squad have gone and performed very well today. We're disappointed not to win. You know, when we're when you're leading twice in a game, you come away with that what if and we were probably as close as we've ever been to winning a game at a World Cup. We couldn't quite do that today, but yeah, we're in the World Cup. We didn't lose. Stayed in the game, scored goals, and created chances. So, for us, it was it was a really strong performance I'm really proud of.”
Another thing Baze mentioned is that this was probably the first time since he’s been coach that he’s had a full strength squad to pick from with no limitations. That’s not strictly true because of what’s happened with Matt Garbett but close enough. Case in point: this was the first time that Chris Wood has played a full game for the national team since October 2023 vs DR Congo.
Elijah Just has now scored 11 goals in 45 caps. Both of those numbers are crazy because the All Whites have only played 51 games since his debut, meaning he’s appeared in 88% of New Zealand’s internationals over that time. He’s always available. He’s also now one of only 19 blokes to have scored double figure goals for the All Whites – and he’s done that at 26 years of age. What’s more, he continues to score in big games. Who got the winner in the 1-0 result vs Ivory Coast in June 2025? Elijah Just. Who scored the second goal in the 4-1 win against Chile a few months ago? Elijah Just. Who scored both goals in the 2-2 draw vs Iran at the World Cup? Elijah Just. He’s literally scored goals in the three most notable results of Darren Bazeley’s tenure.
Top Recorded Speeds for NZers vs Iran
Ben Old – 32.4 km/h
Marko Stamenić – 32.3 km/h
Jesse Randall – 31.7 km/h
Finn Surman – 31.7 km/h
Elijah Just – 31.4 km/h
Top Distances Covered for NZers vs Iran
Joe Bell – 11.525 km
Elijah Just – 11.395 km
Sarpreet Singh – 11.363 km
Marko Stamenić – 10.496 km
Chris Wood – 10.232 km
It would appear that the Tim Payne Instagram Campaign is going to have a tangible outcome with T-Payne now reported to be signing with Club Olimpia in Paraguay – one of the strongest clubs in that country who just won the Apertura phase of their league and topped a Copa Sudamerica group (the secondary continental tournament) that also included Vasco da Gama (Brazil), Audax Italiano (Chile), and Barracas Central (Argentina). The Paraguay World Cup squad includes Gaston Olveira from Olimpia as one of the backup keepers.
Payne had also been rumoured with a couple clubs in Argentina but Paraguay seems like a better outcome for him. Let’s be honest, these are marketing moves more than football moves and there should be less pressure at Olimpia than in Argentina if he turns up and doesn’t settle immediately. His wife is half-Costa Rican so that’ll help. The money will be extensive, that’ll also help. He’s got two years left on his Wellington Phoenix deal hence they should get a tasty fee in return. Hard not to feel like this’ll end up with him back at the Phoenix eventually but might as well cash in for a year or two and embrace an experience that wouldn’t have even seemed possible just a couple of weeks ago. It still barely feels real now.
Quite a few others in this All Whites squad are playing for transfers too. Elijah Just was so awesome for Motherwell that he’s been dealing with Celtic and Rangers rumours for months, now there might even be a bidding war. Callum McCowatt’s club Silkeborg already rejected approaches in January saying straight-up that they wanted to wait until his value rose at the World Cup. Matt Garbett may be injured but he’s already got suitors after his first year at Peterborough. Sarpreet Singh’s Serbian club TSC just got relegated so he’ll surely fancy something else. Finn Surman’s had Portland Timbers fans worried about overseas interest for ages already. The A-League crew includes Alex Rufer and Kosta Barbarouses who seem like they could be on the move. Lachlan Bayliss is expected to join Auckland FC after the tournament. Alex Paulsen is probably going out on loan again. Jesse Randall has already signed with Dundee United. Should be a funky transfer window.
New Zealanders who have scored at Men’s World Cups:
Steve Sumner, Steve Wooddin, Winston Reid, Shane Smeltz, Elijah Just
They update the FIFA World Rankings on a game by game basis now, not just every month like they used to, which means that the All Whites have jumped three places and are no longer the lowest ranked team at the tournament. That honour now belongs to Haiti. There are multipliers for tournament football so New Zealand lost 4.9 points for losing 4-0 to Haiti but then gained 14.46 points for drawing with Iran - that’s what you gain by drawing against a team ranked 65 places above you. We’ve also gone ahead of Curacao. The fact we almost never play competitive games against higher (or even similar) ranked opponents is another reason why the rankings don’t accurately tell the story of where the All Whites are at.
Egypt and Belgium drew 1-1 in the earlier game in this group. Emam Ashour scored a banger for Egypt to give them the lead after 20 minutes but then Romelu Lukaku came off the bench to force an own goal (66’) equaliser in Belgium’s favour. Bit of a game of two halves, nothing super impressive about either of them but you can’t draw too many conclusions. What’s interesting is that with both opening games ending in draws, New Zealand are now top of the group. Everyone’s on equal points and goal difference so goals scored is the next tiebreaker which puts Aotearoa and Iran ahead of the other two. From there it comes down to disciplinary record therefore the 89th minute booking for Ehsan Hajsafi, cynically hauling down Just to avoid a counter attack, is what splits them. It was the only yellow card in the match.
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