Iran and New Zealand went into the break level at 1-1 in their 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G opener at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. New Zealand’s Elijah Just opened the scoring in the 7th minute before Iranian defender Ramin Rezaeian equalized in the 32nd minute.
The match itself is a compelling Group G storyline. But for the crypto world, the bigger picture is playing out in the stadium signage and broadcast overlays: Kraken is serving as FIFA’s first-ever Official Crypto Exchange Supporter for this tournament, marking a new sponsorship tier that didn’t exist at prior World Cups.
What happened on the pitch
New Zealand came out with early aggression. Elijah Just found the back of the net just seven minutes into the contest, giving the All Whites an early advantage that silenced much of the pro-Iran crowd at SoFi Stadium.
Iran settled into the match gradually. Ramin Rezaeian, a defender by trade, delivered the equalizer in the 32nd minute to bring the score level heading into halftime.
