PREVIEW: Lowest ranked qualifiers New Zealand face off with Iran | OneFootball

The World Cup’s lowest-ranked team New Zealand meet with Iran in their opening match in Group G at the SoFi Stadium.

The two nations have met just twice before this fixture, with their most recent encounter coming in 2003 when Iran defeated New Zealand in the AFC-OFC Challenge Cup.

More than two decades later, the two sides face off on the global stage as both dream of a first ever appearance in the World Cup knockout stages.

For Iran, this World Cup campaign arrives amid tenuous circumstances. The team has faced significant disruption away from the pitch, with political tensions between Iran and the US creating complications around visas and logistics.

Unable to have all three group-stage games on the West Coast of America moved to Mexico, Iran instead moved their training camp there following uncertainty as to whether staff and players would be granted visas by the US administration to enter the country.

Iran arrive with significant World Cup experience, with this tournament marking their seventh appearance and their fourth consecutive qualification.

Despite this, they are still searching for their first-ever knockout-stage appearance, finishing third in their group in 2022, behind England and the USA.

Their hopes are centred around their striker Mehdi Taremi. The Olympiacos forward remains Iran’s most important attacking figure.

He has shown his quality on Europe’s biggest stage, scoring and assisting a total of four times in the UEFA Champions League this season.

His finishing ability could prove decisive against a New Zealand defence that has struggled.

Iran’s recent form provides encouragement as they enter the tournament with momentum, winning three, drawing once and losing once in their last five matches.

As for New Zealand, this match represents an important opportunity to finally break through on a global stage.

The All Whites will be appearing at their third World Cup and remain determined to progress past the group stage for the first time. Their best performance came in 2010 when they finished third behind Slovakia and Paraguay, drawing all three of their games.

Darren Bazeley manages the side after a playing career that included spells at Watford and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

His team will rely heavily on their captain, Chris Wood, whose return is a major positive for New Zealand.

The striker spent much of the season sidelined at Nottingham Forest with a knee injury, making just 15 Premier League appearances this season.

The All Whites’ recent form has been a concern, losing four of their last five matches, with their only victory in that run coming against Chile in March, meaning they will need to be tenacious if they are to challenge an experienced Iranian side.

The key battle could boil down to the two number nines. Both are proven goal scorers and represent the clearest route to victory for their teams. The side whose striker delivers on the night may have the decisive edge.

Iran and New Zealand will also face Egypt and Belgium in Group G. The expanded format of this World Cup means a third-place finish may be enough to progress, giving both sides a fighting chance to reach the knockout stages.

The match kicks off at 02:00 (BST) on Tuesday, with live coverage available on BBC One and BBC iPlayer for viewers in the UK.