Iran vs. New Zealand: Head-to-head record and past meetings before World Cup 2026 clash

By Ellis Stevens | 14 Jun 2026 15:56

Iran and New Zealand will get their World Cup 2026 campaigns underway when they clash on Tuesday morning.

Iran have been eliminated at the group stage in all of their six World Cup appearances, and they will be eager to kickstart their dream of reaching the knockouts by taking all three points on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, New Zealand have also failed to progress past the group stage in their two appearances, and they will be aiming for a first-ever World Cup win on Tuesday.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides.

Head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 2

Iran wins: 1

Draws: 1

New Zealand wins: 0

Iran and New Zealand have rarely clashed throughout history, with just two prior meetings before their encounter in Group G at the World Cup 2026.

The two teams were unable to be separated in their first clash back in August 1973, as Iran and New Zealand were both made to settle for a 0-0 draw in the international friendly.

However, their first competitive meeting did deliver a winner, with Iran securing a 3-0 victory in their AFC-OFC Challenge clash in October 2003.

That was their last game against one another before Tuesday's fixture, meaning this will be the first meeting between Iran and New Zealand in almost 23 years.