Gianni Infantino delivers speech to Iranian team after World Cup opening tie

Iran opened its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, in Group G alongside Egypt, Belgium, and New Zealand, with a dramatic 2-2 draw against the All Whites. Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi scored for Iran, while Elijah Just struck twice for New Zealand, and the sides combined for 30 shots. FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended and delivered a locker-room speech after the match, praising Iran for performing on football's biggest stage and urging two more games to make the world proud.