Iran played their first game of their fourth consecutive World Cup, drawing 2-2 with New Zealand in an end to end thriller.
Team Melli have competed in six previous World Cups, but have never made it past the group stage/first round. However, they did manage to beat Wales 2-0 at Qatar 2022, and only lost 1-0 to the United States in their final group game, when a point would have been enough to see them through.
Iran qualified for the 2026 tournament with relative ease, finishing top of Round Two Group E with 14 points from six games, before topping Round Three Group A with 23 points from 10 games. In all, they lost just one of their 16 matches, and that was in their second-to-last game against Qatar when qualification was already assured.
Iran will fancy their chances of sneaking through to the knockout rounds for the first time on this occasion, so let’s take a look at everything you need to know about them.
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Iran odds to win the World Cup
With odds of 500/1, Iran aren’t absolute outsiders, but you wouldn’t count them among the darkhorses like Japan (100/1), Denmark (200/1) or Turkey (250/1) either.
They’re joined on 500s by the likes of South Korea, Ghana and Ukraine, so they’re definitely being viewed as a dangerous side in the group stage, capable of springing a surprise.
Iran odds to win Group G
Belgium are seen as the heavy favourites to win Group G, with Iran expected to battle Egypt for second place. The Iranians are being priced at 6/1 to win the group, which represents a 14.3% probability.
| Team | Odds from Bet365 | Odds from BOYLE Sports | Odds from Sky Bet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 4/7 | 4/11 | 4/9 |
| Egypt | 11/4 | 9/2 | 11/4 |
| Iran | 6/1 | 6/1 | 6/1 |
| New Zealand | 141 | 20/1 | 14/1 |
Iran stage of elimination odds
Iran are 5/6 to make it out of the group stage. This would be a first in the nation’s history, but it reflects their superiority over New Zealand. A draw against the All Whites leaves Iran needing one win in their next two games to all but secure qualification , with Iran well capable of surprising both Belgium and Egypt.
Iran World Cup top goalscorer odds
It’ll come as no surprise to see Mehdi Taremi as Iran’s best bet for the World Cup Golden Boot award. The former Inter and Porto striker — now at Olympiacos, where he’s third in the Super League scoring charts — is priced at 150/1 by Bet365.
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