Inglewood, June 15 -- New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley said that they are treating their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Iran on Monday as a "normal game". Notably, the Iran clash comes amid the backdrop of the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran.

Ahead of the Monday clash, Bazeley said New Zealand are treating it like any other game, explaining that their preparation has remained the same for all international fixtures. He added that while it is a significant occasion because it is a World Cup match, New Zealand's focus is simply on performing well in the tournament.

"To be honest, we've treated it as a normal game. We prepare the same for every international game that we play, and we've done nothing different for this game. ...