Surprises, Stalemates Dominate Day 5 as Iran Deny New Zealand Historic Victory at FIFA World Cup
Day five of the 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered another round of shocks, near-upsets and dramatic stalemates as underdogs continued to challenge football’s traditional powers across the United States.
In Los Angeles, Iran fought back twice to hold New Zealand to an entertaining 2-2 draw, denying the All Whites what would have been their first-ever victory at a FIFA World Cup.
Elijah Just emerged as the star of the night for New Zealand, scoring twice in a breakout performance after being set up on both occasions by veteran striker Chris Wood.
The Motherwell forward opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a superb half-volley before restoring New Zealand’s lead early in the second half with a composed finish over Alireza Beiranvand.
But Iran responded each time through experienced wing-back Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebbi to secure a crucial point in Group G.
The encounter had been overshadowed by political tensions surrounding Iran’s participation in the tournament following recent hostilities with the United States, but once the match began, football took centre stage.
Mehdi Taremi struck the post during an impressive attacking display from the Iranians, who dominated long spells of possession and finished with 17 shots.
However, New Zealand’s disciplined counter-attacking approach repeatedly exposed Iran’s defence.
The draw leaves Group G perfectly balanced after Belgium and Egypt also played out a 1-1 draw earlier in the tournament opener.
Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia came within touching distance of another famous World Cup upset before being held 1-1 by Uruguay in Miami.
Abdulelah Al Amri’s first-half strike stunned Marcelo Bielsa’s side and revived memories of Saudi Arabia’s historic victory over Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.
Uruguay struggled badly in the opening period, with Darwin Nunez producing an ineffective display before being substituted at half-time. Bielsa’s tactical changes transformed the South Americans after the break as they launched relentless pressure on the Saudi goal.
Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte struck the post before Maxi Araujo finally rescued Uruguay with an 80th-minute equaliser.
Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais produced one of the performances of the tournament so far, making nine saves including a dramatic late stop to deny Federico Valverde in stoppage time.
The result leaves Group H wide open after Cabo Verde earlier produced one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history by holding Spain to a goalless draw — securing the island nation’s first-ever point at the tournament.
Egypt also came agonisingly close to a historic win against Belgium before Romelu Lukaku’s equaliser denied the Pharaohs what would have been their first World Cup victory.
With five days played, the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup is already proving unpredictable, with smaller nations showing they are no longer willing to simply make up the numbers on football’s biggest stage.
Matchday 5 Results at a Glance
Group G: Belgium 1-1 Egypt
Saudi Arabia 2-2 Uruguay
Group H: Cabo Verde 0-0 Spain
Iran 2-2 New Zealand
