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New Zealand’s national anthem rings out next and we aren’t too far away from kick-off at Los Angeles Stadium. But if you have a moment to dive deep into the difficulties the Iran team has faced in the buildup to the tournament, head here …
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Updated at 21.02 EDT
Iran players are lined up for the national anthem, right hand across their heart as they sing along and cheers fill Los Angeles Stadium.
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New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley has just explained that Matt Garbett has suffered World Cup heartbreak with a hamstring injury on the eve of the tournament. Logan Rogerson has taken his place in the squad.
double quotation markIt’s devastating news for Matt Garbett, he had a hamstring issue in training a couple of days ago, and when we went through all the medical stuff it turned out worse. It was a bad one …
We’ve got to rise to the occasion. We’ve to go out there and enjoy it. Give it everything and work together, work hard, work together and let’s have a great day.
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Australia defender Kai Trewin was the next to benefit from the battle between social media influencers before the World Cup started, but Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha did much of his own hard work with a stunning performance in the draw with Spain. From 50,000 followers before that game started, Vozinha now has more than 4.1 million people watching his Instagram account (including, it must be said, Guardian Sport).
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Updated at 20.52 EDT
New Zealand have enjoyed a much more settled buildup to the World Cup with the spotlight turning on to their unheralded Tim Payne rather than their participation at the tournament. The defender has become a social media sensation with more than 5.7 million followers on Instagram. Join the Tim Payne party or find out more about his newfound fame.
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The Iran players and team staff have had an unusually difficult and disrupted buildup to the World Cup. Iran captain and striker Mehdi Taremi has said the controversy and disruption surrounding their involvement at the World Cup undermines Fifa’s message of peace and conceded he felt the tension before arriving in Los Angeles on the eve of their opener, hours before a peace deal was announced. For the first time since the competition’s inception, a host nation has received a country with which it is at war.
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Alexander Abnos
Alexander Abnos, the Guardian’s senior sports editor in the US, has a close on the buildup in Los Angeles …
There were scattered protests outside Los Angeles Stadium, but nothing that, from my vantage points, seem to have been especially disruptive. On the west side of the stadium, the most vocal show of protest is a man with a megaphone chanting that the Iranian team represents IRGC terrorists, free Iran, and other slogans in Farsi. I understand there is a larger gathering on the east side, numbering about 200 people.
The Iranian team has enjoyed strong support from Mexicans in Tijuana since they were forced to move training base from Tucson given fears over US visa issues. That has carried over to Los Angeles Stadium – there are a huge number of fans in green Mexico jerseys here, almost all of them chanting support for Iran. In the northern end of the stadium, one group have even unfurled a medium-size banner reading “Te amamos Iran!” (We love you, Iran).
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Updated at 20.38 EDT
New Zealand XI
All Whites: 1 Max Crocombe (gk); 13 Liberato Cacace, 16 Finn Surman, 5 Michael Boxall, 2 Tim Payne; 6 Joe Bell, 8 Marko Stamenić; 11 Eli Just, 10 Sarpreet Singh, 20 Callum McCowatt; 9 Chris Wood (c).
Chris Wood will lead the line and the side into their third World Cup campaign. The XI is expected to settle into a more defensive 4-2-3-1 formation and rely on pace up front from Just, Singh and McCowatt. Crocombe is named goalkeeper ahead of Alex Paulsen.
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Updated at 20.39 EDT
Iran XI
Team Melli: 1 Alireza Beiranvand (gk); 23 Ramin Rezaeian, 19 Ali Nemati, 4 Shoja Khalilzadeh, 5 Milad Mohammadi, 6 Saeid Ezatolahi, 14 Saman Ghoddos, 17 Aria Yousefi; 9 Mehdi Taremi (c), 8 Mohammad Mohebi, 20 Shahriar Moghanloo.
Coach Amir Ghalenoei pulls no punches with an XI expected to lineup in a 4-4-2. Captain Mehdi Taremi is the focal point up front alongside Shahriar Moghanloo who has parachuted into the team.
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Updated at 20.23 EDT
There have now been five matches without defeat for Asian sides at this World Cup after the draw between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay. Jonathan Wilson had already pondered even before the game in Miami whether these are early signs that the continent is a rising force in football, with Iran out to add to the evidence when they face New Zealand.
double quotation markAFC teams have in the past perhaps been guilty of lacking belief against Uefa sides, but no longer. Japan celebrated the equaliser as any side that has snatched a draw should, but the disappointment when they fell behind was clear. First and second in this group play second and first in the Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti group. It’s an indication of how far both Morocco and Japan have come that it’s not at all clear that it would be easier to face them than Brazil or the Netherlands.
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Saudi Arabia have held on against a flurry of late attacks from Uruguay for a 1-1 draw in the Group H game in Miami. Uruguay pressed hard but just could not find a way through the Saudi Arabia defence.
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Check complete: Surely one of the most bizarre stories to emerge from this World Cup so far – Australian video assistant referee Shaun Evans has been cleared by Fifa after after he was accused of making a hand gesture associated with white supremacists. An investigation found no evidence that Evans had breached Fifa’s ethics code and he issued a statement claiming he had been unaware of making the controversial hand sign:
double quotation markThe only explanation I can offer is that the movement was an involuntary, subconscious twitch and I was unaware I had done it at the time.
Matt Hughes’s full story is here:
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And there’s a grandstand finish on the cards over in Miami, where Uruguay have just equalised with 10 minutes to go in their Group H game, having laid siege to the Saudi Arabia goal.
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Updated at 19.50 EDT
In the other Group G game earlier today, Egypt went close to securing a first World Cup win, but were ultimately thwarted by Romelu Lukaku, who came off the bench in the 66th minute and immediately forced an equaliser. Afterwards, Belgium coach Rudi Garcia neatly summed up the veteran striker’s impact:
double quotation markFrankly, when you are the opponent and you see Romelu Lukaku entering the field, your confidence goes down and your anxiety increases.
Jeff Rueter was in Seattle to watch the game unfold:
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Team guide: New Zealand
By Maree Mahony
New Zealand, known as the All Whites, are back at the World Cup for just the third time, thanks to winning the Oceania region’s sole qualifying spot. Since their last World Cup in 2010 New Zealand have evolved from part-timers to professionals and there is belief they have the skillset and experience to make the knockout rounds for the first time.
It’s a tall order, though. New Zealand, at No 85 the event’s lowest-ranked qualifiers, are up against Belgium, who are ninth, Egypt, 29th, and Iran, 21st, in Group G. The renowned commentator Paul Ifill says the current squad is “miles better” than the one that went to South Africa, where they finished unbeaten with three draws. After the squad announcement the coach, Darren Bazeley, agreed the side were in a good place: “It’s a blend of exciting young talent and experienced players to maximise our chances of winning games and getting out of our group.”
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Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood, the captain, is one of two survivors of the last campaign and much will depend on his fitness. The striker was a contender for top scorer in the Premier League in the 2024-25 season, but a serious knee injury late last year sidelined him for several months.
“New Zealand will need to be able to defend without the ball and then work out how to hurt opponents when we get the ball back. A lot will depend on whether Wood is fully fit,” Ifill says.
Get the full low down on New Zealand …
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Team guide: Iran
By Behnam Jafarzadeh
Iran were one of the first teams to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup and, compared to previous campaigns, they had a relatively smooth path to the tournament. However, preparing the team for the competition has been anything but easy. Iran’s conflicts with the US and Israel threw their involvement at the World Cup into serious doubt – all three of their group games take place in the US – and Amir Ghalenoei, the manager, and his coaching staff have had to work hard to minimise disruption.
Nevertheless, in their two friendlies in March against Nigeria and Costa Rica, Iran showed that they have different plans in mind for the World Cup. In the first match against Nigeria, they lined up in a 3-6-1 formation – a setup Ghalenoei described as the team’s “defensive plan B”, likely designed for the group meeting with Belgium. In the second game against Costa Rica, Ghalenoei used a 4-4-2 formation, indicating that he intends to shift tactics depending on the opponent. The primary system remains 4-2-3-1, which Iran used in most of qualifying.
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Despite the problems and controversies surrounding the national team, who moved their World Cup base camp from the US to Mexico just weeks before the tournament, Ghalenoei still believes his side are capable of achieving something special. “We’ve had many problems recently, but the players tried their best and made sacrifices. They worked so hard [through qualification] and sacrificed a lot, so it is my job to thank them. They can do something epic in the World Cup. They can do it, they have the technical potential to make this a World Cup to remember.”
Find out more about the Iran football team behind the headlines …
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Preamble
Martin Pegan
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the World Cup match between Iran and New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium. This is one of the most highly anticipated games of the group stage even while featuring two sides that have never reached the knockouts at the tournament.
The conflict between Iran and the US-Israel has dominated the buildup to the game – and much of the tournament – with uncertainty over whether the Asian nation would even be permitted to play matches in a country with which it is at war. That’s before getting to the many disruptions that have affected the Iran player’s and team staff’s preparations, including ongoing issues over visas and entry to the US, and being based in Tijuana, Mexico, while all three of their group stage matches are fixtures north of the border.
Turning attention to matters on the pitch, Iran are playing at their seventh World Cup. But they are still to progress past the group stage – only Scotland have been to the global tournament more times and found the first round an insurmountable hurdle. While Iran have that history, as well as modern-day chaos and challenges to overcome, they have strong form behind them after breezing through qualifying with only one defeat in 16 matches, and ramping up their final preparations with three comfortable victories.
New Zealand, on the other hand, have largely flown under the radar and arrive as the lowest-ranked team at No 85. This is just their third appearance at the tournament after making their debut and suffering three defeats in 1982. They returned in 2010 and were the only side to leave South Africa undefeated after holding reigning champions Italy to a 1-1 draw in the group stage and also sharing the points with Slovakia and Paraguay.
But that record leaves New Zealand still searching for a first World Cup triumph. Darren Bazeley’s side won all five qualifying matches – while scoring 29 goals and conceding only once – to take full advantage of the Oceania conference being guaranteed a spot at this year’s tournament. Their form has dipped more in recent times, but with Belgium and Egypt the other sides making up Group G, this looks as good a chance as any for the All Whites to claim a breakthrough victory.
Kick-off is 6pm local or PDT/9pm EDT/2am BST/11am AEST. For those counting down from the lands of the competing nations, kick-off is 4.30am IRST/1pm NZST. I’ll be back shortly with the line-ups and team news. In the meantime, get in touch with any questions, thoughts and predictions. You can shoot me an email, or find me on Bluesky @martinpegan.bsky.social. Let’s get into it!
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West Wilson is leaving Summer House after three seasons on the Bravo reality series.
The sports journalist and reality TV personality is not returning to the docuseries, a source close to production confirmed to Deadline. The series usually starts filming around the 4th of July weekend.
Wilson has been embroiled in a scandal after he hooked up with co-star Amanda Batula following her separation from fellow cast member Kyle Cooke. The drama around this new relationship also affected co-star Ciara Miller, who Wilson dated in the past.
Miller and Wilson were being flirty on the latest season of Summer House and were working on reconstructing their friendship after they stopped dating.
The fallout from Miller being betrayed by her ex-boyfriend, Wilson, and her best friend, Batula, has been brutal. Wilson has seemingly had difficulty with the discourse surrounding his betrayal. The Summer House star recently advocated on his podcast, Show Me Something, for the Knicks to lose Game 5 of the NBA championship to force a Game 6, which would then air on Tuesday night. That same night, Bravo is airing Summer House: The Aftermath, a bonus episode in which the affected cast members have deep conversations about their lives following the scandal. Wilson thought that with people focused on the basketball game, fewer would tune in to the Bravo reality series.
Wilson joined Summer House in Season 8 and quickly became a fan favorite for his fun vibes and easygoing personality. The aura Wilson brought to the house perfectly aligned with the show’s premise, a group of young adults partying in the Hamptons every weekend for the summer.
It was his personality that attracted Miller to Wilson, and they both quickly became a thing with fans shipping their relationship. Their relationship didn’t blossom into something more, but a New York Times article revealed cracks in Wilson’s carefully curated persona up to that point. Wilson was unfiltered in that interview, revealing why his relationship with Miller didn’t progress, something he had shied away from saying on the show. When Miller took him to task on the next season of the reality series, Wilson completely shut off and did not defend himself or address his co-star in a proper manner.
The relationship between Miller and Wilson grew awkward, and viewers could see the coldness throughout the summer. In Season 10, Miller started warming up to Wilson again; their friendship began to blossom, and their flirtatious interactions began. The season ended with Miller and Wilson sharing kisses by the pool. Miller and Wilson would go on to make an appearance together on the In the City spinoff in a scene with Batula.
However, in 2026, there were rumors that Wilson and Batula had hooked up, and although the pair initially denied it and tried to downplay it, they came clean and admitted to their relationship. This shook the Bravoverse to its core, and it has never been the same since. The Summer House Season 10 reunion left many unanswered questions about when their relationship actually started and if there was any overlap with Wilson being flirty with Miller and getting close to Batula. Either way, Wilson once again was relatively silent throughout the three-part reunion and allowed Batula to fend for their relationship alone.

Knicks reveal championship parade route as New York prepares for historic celebration originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Knicks waited 53 years to win another NBA championship. Now, New York City is preparing to celebrate in a way only New York can.
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Just two days after the Knicks completed their remarkable run to the 2026 NBA title, details for the team’s long-awaited championship parade have officially been revealed. The celebration is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of fans to Lower Manhattan as New York honors its first NBA champion since 1973. For a franchise that spent decades chasing this moment, Thursday’s parade promises to be one of the biggest sports celebrations the city has seen in years.
The Knicks will travel through the Canyon of Heroes
According to plans released by city officials, the parade will begin at 10 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 18. The route will start near Battery Park and proceed north along Broadway through the famous Canyon of Heroes before concluding near City Hall. The route covers roughly one mile through the heart of Lower Manhattan and follows the same path used by countless championship teams, world leaders, astronauts and historic figures over the last century.
A map circulating on social media Monday gave fans an early look at the exact route the Knicks are expected to follow as they celebrate their championship season. The parade will conclude at Broadway and Chambers Street, where players, coaches and team executives are expected to participate in a ceremony outside City Hall. Mayor Zohran Mamdani is expected to present members of the organization with Keys to the City during the festivities.
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Jalen Brunson and the Knicks are about to make history again
The championship itself was historic. Led by Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, the Knicks stormed back from a 16-point deficit in Game 5 to defeat Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs and capture the franchise’s first championship in more than five decades.
Now the parade will provide another historic moment. Despite winning NBA titles in 1970 and 1973, the Knicks have never received an official ticker-tape parade through the Canyon of Heroes. Thursday’s event is expected to be the first in franchise history.
That fact alone highlights how significant the celebration will be for New York fans. Generations of Knicks supporters have waited their entire lives to witness a championship parade. Some endured years of heartbreak during the Patrick Ewing era. Others experienced the disappointment of recent playoff runs that fell short.
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Now they finally get their moment. Brunson, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and the rest of the championship roster are expected to participate. Team owner James Dolan is also expected to attend.
MORE: The Chicago Sky’s newest social media sensation has barely played this season
New York is expecting massive crowds
If the atmosphere around Madison Square Garden during the Finals was any indication, Thursday could become one of the largest sports celebrations New York has hosted in years.
Fans packed streets around the Garden throughout the postseason, creating scenes that quickly went viral across social media. Those crowds are expected to be even larger for the championship parade. City officials have already begun preparing extensive security measures, with large police presences anticipated along the route. The timing could make attendance even bigger. Schools will be out for the summer in many areas, thousands of workers are expected to take time off, and Knicks fans who have waited more than half a century for this moment are unlikely to miss it. The city is also planning to illuminate several government buildings in blue and orange leading up to the celebration.
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For New York, this isn’t simply a parade. It’s the culmination of 53 years of waiting. And on Thursday morning, the Canyon of Heroes will belong to the Knicks.
More WNBA news:

What 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.
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 Preview
After 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 Belgium finished third as recently as 2018.
Although Belgium failed to advance beyond the group stage in 2022 in Qatar, an early exit this time looks unlikely: Frenchman Rudi Garcia takes his side into the tournament in fine form, having topped their qualifying group undefeated. They’ve beaten the U.S., Croatia and Tunisia, in pre-tournament friendlies, as well as drawing with Mexico.
In the first game of the day, one of the pre-tournament favorites takes on one of the biggest underdogs — Spain faces Cape Verde in Atlanta in Group H. This will be 18-year-old Lamine Yamal’s first World Cup appearance for Spain. He’s widely considered the favorite to take the mantle from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Cape Verde, ranked 67th in FIFA’s men’s world rankings to Spain’s 2nd, will be pinning their hopes on Yamal not making the starting lineup: although he has been cleared to play after missing the final weeks of the season for Barcelona due to injury, reports suggest he is unlikely to start.
Spain’s recent record in the tournament is also miserable. It has failed to advance past the Round of 16 since it won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Trying to stop Spain’s attack will be Cape Verde’s Dublin-born defender, Roberto “Pico” Lopes, who was recruited to the team via LinkedIn.
World Cup Recap
Here are the scores and headlines from yesterday’s World Cup games:
Australia beat Turkey 2-0, and joined the U.S. atop Group D.
Germany routed Curacao 7-1, but the tiny nation celebrated its lone goal.
Japan came back twice to tie the Netherlands 2-2.
The Ivory Coast scored late to top Ecuador, 1-0.
Sweden pounded Tunisia 5-1.
Men in Blazers
What an absolutely massive first weekend of the World Cup. Brazil looked surprisingly human against impressive Morocco, Japan stunned the mighty Netherlands with one of the first proper shocks of the tournament (along with the Socceroos taking down Turkey, of course), and Scotland’s Super John McGinn unleashed a deflected strike with the fury of 1,000 bagpipes to seal his side’s first win at the competition since 1990.
Did we mention last night’s 90th-minute winner from Ivory Coast’s Amad Diallo? Because somehow, that might’ve been the best finish of them all. Four days and 12 games down. 35 days, 92 games, and infinite moments of 🤯 left to go.
Today, we get four more matches to savor, including tournament favorites Spain taking on Cape Verde — the second-smallest country to ever qualify for the competition — at noon ET in Atlanta. Then, the final remnants of Belgium’s golden generation face Mohammed Salah’s Egypt at 3 p.m. ET in Seattle. For the full match schedule, head here.
For more World Cup coverage sent straight to your inbox every morning, subscribe to the Men in Blazers newsletter. We’ll be covering every match, every goal and every joyous moment that soccer’s biggest spectacle is sure to bring.
What We’re Reading
Trump, flyovers and bloody fights: What it was like inside the UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House lawn.
The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Game 6 to win their first Stanley Cup in 20 years.
The Knicks spent years looking for a giant. Jalen Brunson became something bigger.
Just one World Cup game in, Brazil and Carlo Ancelotti are already under fire.
Morocco’s draw against Brazil showed its potential to be the World Cup’s ultimate dark horse.
What We’re Watching
We have a star-studded slate today — Spain’s Lamine Yamal, followed by Egypt’s Mo Salah, and later, a politically important game between Iran and New Zealand. We’ll be live-blogging all the action, providing real-time updates and expert analysis along the way.
All times are Eastern:
12 p.m.: Spain vs. Cape Verde, on Peacock
3 p.m.: Belgium vs. Egypt, on Peacock
6 p.m.: Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay, on Peacock
9 p.m.: Iran vs. New Zealand, on Peacock
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.

The Knicks have returned to New York from San Antonio, where their Game 5 victory on Saturday won them their first NBA Championship in 53 years.
“I don’t think it’s sunk in yet,” said Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, one of the starting five stars of the team — along with Karl Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart — who joined “Good Morning America” on Monday morning.
Brunson said he placed a towel over his head after the winning moment to let it all out because he knew “that face was probably going to look crazy on TV.”
“It was honestly, like a lifetime — that’s what it felt like,” he said of the buildup to the winning moment. “The best part about it is knowing that these guys had my back night in and night out — made that moment ten times more special.”
Towns said the win shared with dozens of former Knicks and NBA legends, was “a culmination of work coming together at the right moment, at the right time.”
“Not only the alumni but [for] the fans, this was healing,” Towns said of the 27-year gap since the last Finals run in 1999. “This is really a once-in-a-lifetime event, you’re watching in New York sports history.”
“You’re talking about a whole generation that’s passed being told about the stories of how great the Knicks are, but not actually seeing that trophy be raised,” Towns continued. “You get to see history show itself and be able to see it with your own eyes that the Knicks are, again, world champions.”
Towns said Knicks head coach Mike Brown, in his first season with the franchise, has “been great” at bringing the veteran team together and trusting their experience and understanding their “intellectual capital.”
“What he’s been awesome at doing too is listening to us and just hearing us out and adjusting the game plan as needed,” Towns said. “After Game 3, his ability to adjust our team offensively and defensively to bring out the best of us, speaks volumes to him as a coach working on the fly and also just hearing his players out.”
Rick Brunson, an assistant coach for the Knicks and the father of the star point guard, played for eight NBA teams, including the Knicks, but never won the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
“It’s really special to be able to — share that moment with him,” Jalen Brunson told “GMA,” adding that “him being a journeyman in the NBA, I never really got to be around him consistently,” so the last four years has been the most consistent “I’ve been able to be around my dad — made the moment 10 times more special.”
Anunoby had a career-defining tip-in off a missed shot from Brunson to win Game 4 107-106 in the last seconds, which Brown called the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball, but the star forward said he couldn’t be too excited or dwell on it because he “had to prepare” for the next game.
“I was trying to dunk it — but couldn’t,” Anunoby said, “so I just tried to, you know, touch it and make the shot.”
Towns was raised in New Jersey by his father, Karl Sr., and mother, Jackie, who died from complications with COVID-19 in 2020, and said her love has stayed with him on and off the court.
“To be raised by a strong woman is such an honor. And to understand the value of women in my life and in the world — comes from her,” he said. “Her impact in my life — can’t be outmatched and her ability to show me the word love at its purest sense is the most important thing I’ve ever seen.”
Towns hailed another important woman, his fiancee Jordyn Woods, who went viral for a good-luck inducing clutch.
“That bag is undoubtedly, probably one of the greatest articles of clothing that New York has ever seen,” Towns said. “It’s had a run for sure, undefeated in the playoffs — New York has a lot to thank her for.”