Saudi Arabia v Uruguay, Iran v New Zealand, Spain v Cabo Verde, Belgium v Egypt results, games, standings, schedule, groups, how to watch

That is all we have time for today.

Thanks for following along with our live coverage. And, the good news is we’ll be back to do it all again from 5am tomorrow.

If you’re looking for something to quench your World Cup thirst until then, why not check out some of our other coverage?

You could read this fantastic feature from reporter Vince Rugari on Iraq coach Graham Arnold?

Or how about the story of how goalscorer Connor Metcalfe became and Australian hero?

A personal favourite of mine is this Good Weekend feature on Nestory Irakunda.

And, don’t forget this story on the Socceroos newest star Patrick Beach, who went from accidental goalkeeper to a household name.

With the day’s play wrapped-up, here’s how Groups G and H are looking.

New Zealand are given top spot in Group G, despite a 2-2 draw because Iran’s Ehsan Hajsafi was given a yellow card.

In the event of a draw, yellow and red cards will be used as a tiebreaker for table position.

Who would have thought it, Iran and New Zealand tossed up the most thrilling match of the tournament so far.

That is ... for now.

We have a jam-packed schedule tomorrow, with reigning champions Argentina, tournament favourites France and the most photogenic team – Norway – among the nations taking to the pitch.

Here’s a look ahead at the next 24 hours in FIFA-land (all times AEST):

5am: France v Senegal

8am: Iraq v Norway

11am: Argentina v Algeria

2pm: Austria v Jordan

“I’m extremely proud of the players,” says NZ manager Darren Bazeley. “With the work rate, and we created loads of chances. I thought we were really, really good in possession, defended pretty well for the majority, and we’ve come off disappointed to not win a game because we were leading twice.

“Scored two great goals had some moments, which was really good. It’s going to be a little bit bittersweet because we had a chance to make history tonight and win a game at a World Cup. And we came really close, we didn’t lose. We kept in it and played really, really well.”

Iran opened their politically charged World Cup with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand, overcoming two deficits and tying the match via Mohammad Mohebi’s 64th-minute goal.

Ramin Rezaeian scored his country’s first goal and then assisted Mohebi’s goal for the Iranians, whose World Cup cycle has been in upheaval since the US and Israel began a war against Iran on February 28. Iran ultimately decided to compete even after FIFA rejected their request to move their three group-stage matches out of the US.

Iran moved their training base during the tournament from Arizona to Tijuana, Mexico, and the team are flying into the US on the day before each game, before returning quickly to Mexico. Captain Mehdi Taremi acknowledged that this World Cup has been a difficult experience, containing little of the joy that football represents to him and his teammates.

Team Melli began the tournament before a strong pro-Iranian crowd at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, which has the world’s largest population of Iranians outside Iran. While several hundred Iranian-Americans protested the government outside, many fans from the diaspora jeered and turned their backs on the field during the national anthem — but almost all appeared to support the Iranian players once the match kicked off.

Well, perhaps this was destined to be a draw given how the rest of today has played out. The managers shake hands. The players collapse in a heap, defeated by their exertions. Twice the Kiwis held the lead and looked the goods for a first World Cup win, and twice they were pegged back by an Iran side that just wouldn’t let up.

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