Matchup
Iran will fly into the Los Angeles area for the night as they face their first World Cup match against New Zealand
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All focus will be on Inglewood Stadium on Monday evening for the Group G clash between Iran and New Zealand, with the match starting at 6pm local time (2am UK time).
Iran has experienced a notably difficult lead-up to the World Cup and has been compelled to base their training camp in Mexico, flying into the United States for any of their games north of the border.
They will be hoping that the football itself can take the spotlight when the match begins against New Zealand—so who has been assigned to officiate the game?
Referee appointment for Iran vs New Zealand
Neither team has ever advanced beyond the group stage of a World Cup before—in fact, New Zealand has never won a match in their two prior appearances, losing all three games in 1982 and drawing all three in 2010.
Iran came closest to the knockout rounds in 2018 despite being placed in a very challenging group with Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with the Iberian teams edging them out by just one point.
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Both sides will view this contest between the third and fourth seeds as a must-win, and the official in charge will be Mexican referee Cesar Arturo Ramos.
This marks Ramos' third consecutive World Cup after his debut in the competition in 2018.
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The 42-year-old is among FIFA's most trusted referees and has handled several high-profile semi-final matches: at the 2019 Asian Cup, the 2024 Copa America, and most notably, France's win over Morocco at the 2022 World Cup. He also officiated the 2017 Club World Cup final.
Ramos has never issued a red card in his seven World Cup matches to date—but he did have to show it three times in a single Club World Cup game last summer, sending off two for Boca Juniors and one for Benfica during a 2-2 draw in the group stage.
Ramos will be assisted by fellow countrymen Alberto Morin and Marco Bisguerra along the sidelines.
Japan's Yusuke Araki serves as the fourth official, with Jun Mihara acting as the reserve official on the field.
VAR will be overseen by another Mexican, Erick Miranda.
Joining him in the booth are Swiss Fedayi San and German Bastian Dankert.
Steven Chicken has been working as a football writer since 2009, with stints at Football365 and the Huddersfield Examiner. Steven still covers Huddersfield Town home and away for his own publication, WeAreTerriers.com . Steven is a two-time nominee for Regional Journalist of the Year at the prestigious British Sports Journalism Awards, making the shortlist in 2020 and 2023.
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