Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei named captain Mehdi Taremi as the forward leading the attack for the World Cup Group G opener against New Zealand on Monday, June 16, 2026 [1, 2]. Taremi, a key player for Iran, starts up front to spearhead their offense.
Ehsan Hajsafi, Iran's record appearance maker at World Cups, was named on the bench for the fixture [1, 2]. The rest of Iran’s starting lineup includes goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, defenders Shojae Khalilzadeh, Milad Mohammadi, Aria Yousefi, and Ali Nemati, alongside midfielders Ramin Rezaeian, Saeid Ezatolahi, Mohammad Mohebi, and Saman Ghoddos. Shahriyar Moghanlou also starts, completing the eleven [1, 2].
New Zealand will field their captain and all-time top scorer Chris Wood as the central forward leading their attack [1, 2]. Wood will aim to bring his scoring prowess to bear as New Zealand looks for a strong start in the group.
The New Zealand lineup features goalkeeper Max Crocombe, defenders Tim Payne, Michael Boxall, Liberato Cacace, and Finn Surman. The midfield includes Joe Bell, Marko Stamenic, Sarpreet Singh, Elijah Just, and Callum McCowatt alongside Wood up front [1, 2].
The match will take place on Monday, June 16, 2026. Both teams have finalized their squads the day before, signaling the start of Group G action in the World Cup [1, 2].