Just brace not enough as New Zealand and Iran share four-goal thriller

Eli Just scored twice for New Zealand but Iran twice fought back through Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi to earn a 2-2 draw in a pulsating Group G opener at SoFi Stadium.

Iran twice had to come from behind to earn a thrilling 2-2 draw with New Zealand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, as the All Whites underdogs announced themselves on the World Cup stage in a breathless Group G opener.

New Zealand could hardly have started better. Eli Just struck inside seven minutes with a superb leaping finish in the box, stunning Team Melli and silencing the largely pro-Iran crowd.

Iran, the more fancied side, responded before half-time. Ramin Rezaeian levelled in the first half to restore parity, and the game settled into an absorbing end-to-end contest.

Just had other ideas. On 55 minutes he grabbed his second, finishing from the right after a clever pass from Chris Wood to put New Zealand back in front. But Iran would not be denied: nine minutes later Mohammad Mohebi rose to head home Rezaeian's cross-field delivery, the ball going in off the post to make it 2-2.

Both sides pushed for a winner that never came, and a point apiece felt fair on a night of relentless attacking football. The draw blows Group G wide open, and for fans in Kenya it was further proof that the gap between football's establishment and its emerging nations is closing fast.