New Zealand brush aside politics ahead of World Cup opener against Iran (opens original article in a new tab)

New Zealand's coach and captain downplayed the political significance of their World Cup opener against Iran, focusing instead on the football match. The game is expected to have a large Iranian diaspora crowd, but support for Iran may be divided politically.

• New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley stated the team is focused on football, not the political context of the World Cup match against Iran.
• Captain Chris Wood emphasized the team's focus on football, stating 'once you go through the white lines, nothing else matters.'
• The match is expected to have a large Iranian diaspora crowd, but it's unclear how much support Iran's national team will receive due to political divisions.