Iran are Asia's most consistent World Cup qualifiers and always bring defensive solidity. New Zealand qualified through the OFC — the weakest confederation. Iran should have too much quality.

Team Form

Iran: Consistently qualify for WC. Physically strong, well-organized. Mehdi Taremi leads the line. New Zealand: OFC champions but huge step up in quality.

Head-to-Head

Iran beat New Zealand 1-0 in 2017 friendly. Limited meetings but clear quality gap.

Key Insights

Iran will be compact and clinical on the counter. New Zealand lack top-level experience. Iran's defensive organization should see them through.