Iran arrives as favorite. The team led by Amir Ghalenoei is playing in its seventh World Cup and has a squad that combines international experience and players with experience in European leagues.
Mehdi Taremi, captain and main offensive reference, leads a team that also includes goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, defender Shojae Khalilzadeh and midfielder Saman Ghoddos.
The Iranians finished in first place in their group in the Asian qualifiers and will seek to take an important step towards qualifying for the knockout phase, a stage they have never reached in a World Cup.
New Zealand faces its third World Cup participation, after the 1982 and 2010 editions, with the aim of achieving the first victory in its history in the tournament.
The All Whites, led by Darren Bazeley, have Chris Wood, Nottingham Forest forward and the national team’s all-time top scorer, as their main reference. Players like Liberato Cacace and Sarpreet Singh also stand out.
The Oceanic team will bet on defensive order and quick transitions to try to surprise one of the group’s favorites.
The match marks the beginning of the journey of both teams in Group G that also includes Belgium and Egypt.
The referee of the match will be the Mexican César Arturo Ramos.