Iran and New Zealand have named their starting teams as both nations begin their 2026 World Cup campaigns in Los Angeles on Tuesday.Team Melli have never progressed beyond the group stage, suffering immediate eliminations at each of the last three editions. Recommended offer Review Bet �10 Get �30 in Free Bets Get Offer 18+GambleAware.orgFor New Customers. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply. The All Whites are seeking their first win at the finals in their seventh World Cup match, although they held Slovakia, Italy and Paraguay at the 2010 tournament, having lost three games in 1982.The match is the second to take place in Group G, which started when Belgium faced Egypt on Monday. Table of ContentsWorld Cup 2026: Iran confirmed team vs New ZealandWorld Cup 2026: New Zealand full line up vs IranWhere to watch Iran vs New Zealand: TV channel, live online streamWorld Cup 2026: Iran vs New Zealand statsResponsible GamblingWorld Cup 2026: Iran confirmed team vs New ZealandCaptain Alireza Jahanbakhsh, who was once the Eredivisie top scorer and Brighton & Hove Albions club-record �17 million signing, has been struggling with a knock sustained with Belgian club Dender but is fit enough to start on the bench.Centre-back or midfielder Roozbeh Cheshmi will miss the finals with a hamstring injury.Striker Sardar Azmoun the third-highest goalscorer in the countrys history, with 57 goals from 91 caps was left out of the squad after reportedly angering the Iranian government by posting a photo of himself with UAE ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Instagram in March.Iran starting XI: Beiranvand; Khalilzadeh, Mohammadi, Yousefi, Nemati, Rezaeian; Ezatolahi, Mohebbi, Ghoddos; Taremi, MoghanlooIran substitutes: Niazmand, Hosseini, Hardani, Hajisafi, Kanani, Iri, Jahanbakhsh, Cheshmi, Torabi, Ghorbani, Razaghinia, Ghayedi, Alipour, Hosseinzadeh, DargahiWorld Cup 2026: New Zealand full line up vs IranNew Zealand midfielder Matthew Garbett, of English third-tier side Peterborough United, was ruled out after sustaining a hamstring issue in training.Record 45-goal scorer Chris Wood returned from a severe knee injury for Nottingham Forest in April and played for much of New Zealands defeat to England and preceding 4-0 loss against Haiti.Tim Payne missed two months of the season with a broken collarbone and has been hampered by two minor hamstring issues since then, but the 32-year-old right-back also featured in those friendlies, as did former Bayern Munich winger Sarpreet Singh, who suffered a significant knee injury in February.New Zealand starting XI: Crocombe; Payne, Boxall, Cacace, Surman; Bell, Stamenic, Singh, Just, McCowatt, WoodNew Zealand substitutes: Paulsen, Woud, De Vries, Bindon, Pijnaker, Elliot, Smith, Rufer, Old, Thomas, Bayliss, Barbarouses, Waine, RandallWhere to watch Iran vs New Zealand: TV channel, live online streamKick-off on Tuesday is at 02:00 BST (21:00 ET / 18:00 PT). In the UK, live coverage is on BBC One.Fans can stream the action on a vast range of devices through the BBC iPlayer app and BBC Sport website.World Cup 2026: Iran vs New Zealand statsThis is Irans seventh appearance at the World Cup, with only Scotland (8) making more appearances in the finals without advancingAmong teams to have taken part in at least World Cup matches, Iran have scored the fewest goals per game (0.72), while only Bulgaria have a lower win rate (11.5%, vs 16.7% for Iran)Iran have scored six goals over the last two World Cups in 2018 and 2022, five of which have come during second-half added timeThey are unbeaten in 24 home matches in qualifying (W20 D4); the longest run in their history, overtaking an 18-game run between 1993 and 2004Mehdi Taremi was directly involved in 49% of Irans goals in qualifying, scoring 10 and assisting seven out of 35Amir Ghalenoei is at his first World Cup as a head coach and is the third Iranian to lead his nation at the tournament, after Heshmat Mohajerani (1978) and Jalal Talebi (1998)New Zealands three draws made them the only unbeaten side at the 2010 World CupOnly Honduras (9) and Egypt (7) have played more World Cup matches than New Zealand (6) without ever winningThey qualified following a three-match knockout round in March 2025, beating New Caledonia 3-0 in the final to take advantage of the first time Oceania has been guaranteed one slot at the World CupCaptain Chris Wood was the top scorer in the Oceanian section of qualifying, netting nine times across five matches.Darren Bazeley is also a World Cup debutant. The Englishman won the 2024 OFC Nations Cup with New Zealand and is the third individual to lead the All Whites at a World Cup tournament, after John Adshead (1982) and Ricki Herbert (2010)Responsible GamblingGambling should always be approached as entertainment, not as a way to generate income. If you ever feel that gambling is becoming a problem, there are several organisations you can contact for free, confidential support.National Gambling Helpline: 0808 8020 133 (free, 8 am to midnight, 7 days a week)GamCare:www.gamcare.org.ukGambleAware:gambleaware.orgGamStop:www.gamstop.co.uk(free self-exclusion service)Tools available through bet365 include deposit limits, session time reminders, loss limits, self-exclusion and Reality Checks. These can be accessed via the Safer Gambling section of your account at any time. 18+ only. Please gamble responsibly. Topics 2026 FIFA World Cup Chris Wood FIFA World Cup Iran National Football Team New Zealand national football team World Cup World Cup 2026 Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read World Cup 2026 live: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay confirmed teams and full line ups, TV channel, live online stream and stats Jon Fisher 15th June, 2026 Belgium vs Egypt live: World Cup 2026 confirmed teams and full line ups, TV channel, live online stream and stats Ben Miller 15th June, 2026 Frustrated Spain striker Oyarzabal makes history for wrong reasons in World Cup opener with Cape Verde Mitch Fretton 15th June, 2026 World Cup 2026: How long is Lamine Yamal out? 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