The FIFA President visited the Iranian national team's locker room after the World Cup match
FIFA President Gianni Infantino personally visited the Iranian national team’s locker room after their match against New Zealand at the 2026 World Cup.
The head of world soccer offered words of support to the players, who showed character in an extremely difficult match.
The match ended in a high-scoring draw, keeping the intrigue alive in Group G.
During his visit to the Iranian athletes, the FIFA president delivered an emotional speech, praising the team’s contribution to the tournament’s atmosphere. He emphasized the importance of the national team’s performances for the entire global community.
Gianni Infantino urged the players not to lose their focus or faith in themselves ahead of the upcoming matches.
“Today’s match was difficult, and with a little more luck, you could have won. But you still have two matches left, and in those two games, you will once again make the world proud of what you are doing. I know what you’re going through; I understand, but you are stronger than anything. You are sending a message to the whole world. Tonight, you united the entire stadium around you. You showed this to the world and sent a powerful message. Thank you very much,” said Infantino.
The match itself, part of the 2026 World Cup group stage, was incredibly dynamic and kept everyone on the edge of their seats until the final minutes.
The New Zealanders managed to take the lead as early as the 7th minute of the match thanks to a precise strike by Elijah Jasta, who finished off a pass from the experienced Chris Wood.
The Iranians managed to equalize before the halftime whistle—in the 32nd minute, Ramin Rezaeian leveled the score.
In the second half, the match heated up again when, in the 54th minute, the Wood-Just combination struck for the second time, and the New Zealand national team took the lead once more.
However, the Iranian team showed resilience, and just ten minutes later, Mohébi sealed the final score with a beautiful header off a cross from Rezaeian.
In the final stages of the game, both teams actively sought chances to score the winning goal, but the match ended in a hard-fought 2-2 draw.
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