From The Sports Desk: One day after peace agreement, Iran takes field for World Cup

World CupFrom The Sports Desk: One day after peace agreement, Iran takes field for World CupIran will play New Zealand tonight in Southern California. Earlier in the day, Lamine Yamal and Spain play Cape Verde, and Mo Salah and Egypt take on Belgium. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00The Iranian soccer team train ahead of their World Cup match against New Zealand in Tijuana, Mexico on Sunday.Harry How / Getty ImagesShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 15, 2026, 11:00 AM EDTBy David HickeyWhat a crazy sports weekend that was — the NBA Finals concluded Saturday night, the World Cup kicked into high gear and the UFC staged fights last night on the White House lawn. Be sure to check the NBC News website for coverage of all those events.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Today, we have another great World Cup slate, headlined by the Iran-New Zealand game tonight in Southern California, which comes one day after the U.S. reached a framework of a peace deal with Iran to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz. We’ll be live-blogging the games all day. Stuck at work? We’ll keep you posted on what’s happening. World Cup PreviewAfter a highly fraught buildup, Iran starts its tournament tonight against New Zealand. Iran’s training camp was relocated from the U.S. after the war began and some members of their entourage have reportedly been denied visas.Playing 85th-ranked New Zealand in Inglewood this evening, Iran will at least be buoyed by a fanatical local support base. New Zealand enters the tournament having lost friendlies against England, Chile and Haiti, 4-0. New Zealand will be relying on striker Chris Wood, who plays for Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, for goals.This afternoon, Mohamed Salah and Egypt will take on Belgium, shorn of their “Golden Generation” tag but still boasting Kevin de Bruyne, Salah’s onetime Premier League rival. Egypt has never won a World Cup match, whereas...