Iran vs New Zealand Prediction & Betting Tips - World Cup
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by Sridhar Bhamidi | in World Cup Predictions
The opening night of Group G action in the 2026 World Cup sees the lowest-ranked nation in this tournament – New Zealand – take on Iran, a side that was almost uncertain to participate for non-football reasons. This match between ‘Team Melli’ and the ‘All Whites’ will be played out in Inglewood on Monday. Belgium and Egypt are the other two teams in this group, but can these two unfancied teams conjure up a classic or struggle to excite?
Iran earned their ticket to North America, losing just once in their qualification campaign. This will be their seventh World Cup tournament and perhaps their best chance to make it out of the group stage for the first time ever.
New Zealand are back on the global stage for the first time since 2010 and only the third time overall. They claimed Oceania’s first own automatic spot and not an inter-confederation play-off place – thanks to the tournament's expansion. Is that enough to spur them against a tricky Iranian side? We dig deep to provide you the analysis, team news, and match predictions.
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Iran v New Zealand Best Betting Odds
| Bookmaker | 1 | X | 2 | Bonus up to |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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1.82 | 3.4 | 4.6 |
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1.87 | 3.52 | 4.83 |
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1.81 | 3.46 | 4.7 |
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1.81 | 3.46 | 4.7 |
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1.83 | 3.4 | 4.75 |
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What is the prediction for the football match between Iran and New Zealand?
Our prediction for the Iran vs New Zealand match is: BTTS: No.
Probabilities according to our algorithm* of possible 1X2 football predictions and best odds for the match on 15/06/2026 between Iran and New Zealand in World Cup :
- The Sportytrader ⭐ algorithm estimates a probability of 65.43% for a win of Iran against New Zealand with odds of 1.87 at 1xbet.
- The probability according to Sportytrader ⭐ for a draw between Iran vs New Zealand is 20.69% with odds of 3.56 at 888Starz.
- Our prediction model gives a 13.88% chance ⭐ for a win of New Zealand vs Iran with odds of 4.83 at 1xbet.
Iran vs New Zealand Form
Iran and New Zealand Last Matches
3/6 (50%)
2/6 (33%)
1/6 (17%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
4 Jun 2026 - International Friendlies
29 May 2026 - International Friendlies
31 Mar 2026 - International Friendlies
27 Mar 2026 - International Friendlies
18 Nov 2025 - International Friendlies
13 Nov 2025 - International Friendlies
4/6 (67%)
1/6 (17%)
1/6 (17%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
4 Jun 2026 - International Friendlies
29 May 2026 - International Friendlies
31 Mar 2026 - International Friendlies
27 Mar 2026 - International Friendlies
10 Jun 2025 - World Cup
25 Mar 2025 - World Cup
2/6 (33%)
2/6 (33%)
2/6 (33%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
18 Nov 2025 - International Friendlies
13 Nov 2025 - International Friendlies
10 Oct 2025 - International Friendlies
5 Jun 2025 - World Cup
19 Nov 2024 - World Cup
14 Nov 2024 - World Cup
1/6 (17%)
0/6 (0%)
5/6 (83%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
6 Jun 2026 - International Friendlies
2 Jun 2026 - International Friendlies
30 Mar 2026 - FIFA Series
27 Mar 2026 - FIFA Series
18 Nov 2025 - International Friendlies
15 Nov 2025 - International Friendlies
3/6 (50%)
0/6 (0%)
3/6 (50%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
30 Mar 2026 - FIFA Series
27 Mar 2026 - FIFA Series
9 Sept 2025 - International Friendlies
10 Jun 2025 - International Friendlies
7 Jun 2025 - International Friendlies
21 Mar 2025 - World Cup
0/6 (0%)
1/6 (17%)
5/6 (83%)
Average stats (Last 6 matchs)
6 Jun 2026 - International Friendlies
2 Jun 2026 - International Friendlies
18 Nov 2025 - International Friendlies
15 Nov 2025 - International Friendlies
14 Oct 2025 - International Friendlies
9 Oct 2025 - International Friendlies
Iran - New Zealand: Form Analysis
Iran were one of the better teams in the third round of the Asian qualifiers, losing just one of their ten games. Overall, with just one defeat in the qualification campaign (W11, D4), Iran were one of the first teams to book their spot in this tournament.
Their recent form has been impressive too, with Iran defeating Mali, Gambia, and Costa Rica without conceding a goal. They have five wins from their last seven preparatory games (L2), although one win and loss each came via penalties.
Iran managed five clean sheets during regulation time in the last seven matches.
New Zealand are back in the World Cup after a 16-year absence, defeating New Caledonia in the Oceania final. They are still the lowest-ranked side in this tournament and are expected to struggle against teams placed above them.
That was evident in the recent games, as the ‘All Whites’ lost five of their last six matches (W1). The lone win came against Chile, while Haiti blanked them 4-0 early in June, raising concerns for the side.
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Iran & New Zealand Squad Analysis
Iran captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh is racing against time to be fit for the tournament opener. They have already lost winger Ali Gholizadeh due to an injury, while striker Sardar Azmoun has been trimmed from the squad due to non-football reasons.
Head coach Amir Ghalenoei is likely to stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation with Mehdi Taremi starting as the lone striker. He remains Iran’s second top goal scorer of all time (60), only behind the legendary Ali Daei.
Taremi has four goals and one assist in his last four matches for Iran.
Ryan Thomas and Joe Bell of New Zealand missed their recent matches and are racing to be fit for this game. Liberato Cacace missed most of the season for Wrexham but recovered in time and even featured in their last two matches.
The ‘All Whites’ usually line up in a tight-knit 4-2-3-1 formation with Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood leading the line. He is the country’s most capped and all-time top scorer, while he also finished the Oceania qualifiers with nine goals.
Iran - New Zealand Key Points
- Only one of New Zealand’s last five matches saw both teams score.
- Eleven of New Zealand’s last 12 competitive matches saw only one side score.
- Iran kept a clean sheet in five of their last seven matches during regulation time.
- Iran scored in ten of their last 13 matches.
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Our Iran vs New Zealand Prediction
The tournament expansion gave New Zealand a great chance to qualify, and they are likely to be a regular feature on the global stage from now on. That’s not an endorsement of their current abilities as the ‘All Whites’ have struggled for impact lately. They have failed to even score in four of their last five matches. That could work to Iran’s advantage, who would be desperate to put their off-field controversies to bed.
Iran’s strong defensive showing combined with New Zealand’s struggles is why our Iran vs New Zealand prediction is BTTS: No.
Iran vs New Zealand Alternative Predictions
Iran wins
Iran’s results on the field have been impressive, as they come here with three consecutive wins in the preparatory games. For New Zealand, it’s a different story, as they lost five of their last six games. Iran look more likely to dish out a positive result here.
Use £/€50 free bets for the Iran vs. New Zealand game!
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Iran vs New Zealand - FAQs
The Iran vs New Zealand World Cup match will be shown live on Persiana Sports in Iran and TVNZ in New Zealand. In the UK, STV (Central and Northern Scotland), BBC, and ITV are the official broadcasters.
You can follow the game through our live scores. Check out our World Cup Livescore page!
The 48 teams are divided into 12 groups.
Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic
Group B: Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Group D: United States, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey
Group E: Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador
Group F: The Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
Group J: Argentina, Algeria, Austria, Jordan
Group K: Portugal, DR Congo, Uzbekistan, Colombia
Group L: England, Croatia, Ghana, Panama
The top two teams of each group will progress to the knockout stage, along with the eight best third-placed teams. That makes it 32 teams for the first stage of the knockouts.
The knockouts will be played in a single-elimination format. If the teams are level during regulation time, 30 minutes of extra time will be played. If the teams are still tied at the end of extra time, a penalty shootout will be used to determine the winner.
Brazil are the most successful team in the history of the World Cups, winning the title five times (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002).
Germany are the second-most successful team with four titles, including their success as West Germany (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014).
Italy have also won the title four times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), but have failed to qualify for this edition.
Argentina are the next best side, winning the title on three occasions (1978, 1986, and 2022). They are the defending champions.
France (1998, 2018) and Uruguay (1930, 1950) have won two titles each.
England (1966) and Spain (2010) have won the World Cup once each.
All tips are fully researched and given in good faith, but profits cannot be guaranteed.
