Group G is the kind of draw that makes football fans pause and do a double-take. Belgium — one of the pre-tournament favourites and almost certainly playing their last major tournament as a cohesive golden generation — alongside Mohamed Salah's Egypt at potentially the peak of his international relevance, a compact Iranian side with serious tactical discipline, and New Zealand making only their second-ever World Cup appearance. On paper it is kind for Belgium. In practice, no group at a 48-team World Cup is truly comfortable.
Group G at a glance
Belgium should qualify comfortably. Egypt are the second-most dangerous side on any given day. Iran will make their knockout hopes difficult by grinding out low-scoring affairs. New Zealand arrive with nothing to lose and everything to prove. The two qualification spots come down to the Belgium top line being taken as given, and the remaining three teams fighting for one alongside the automatic Moroccan-style upsets that every World Cup delivers.
Belgium: the last waltz of a golden generation
This is almost certainly the final major tournament for Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Thibaut Courtois as the core of a competitive Belgian side. De Bruyne, now at Napoli and approaching 35, remains one of the most technically gifted midfielders in world football — his passing range and ability to unlock defences with a single ball are still elite even if the burst of pace has softened. Lukaku, back at Napoli after years of wandering, arrives in the best goalscoring form of his later career: 22 league goals this season, a more clinical finisher than the battering-ram of his peak years.
Courtois behind them is arguably still the best goalkeeper on the planet on his day, and the midfield screen of Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans provides the kind of physical and technical balance that Belgium lacked in the 2018 and 2022 campaigns when they kept squandering the potential of their front line. Manager Rudi Garcia has simplified the system and let De Bruyne be De Bruyne — which is all Belgium really needed.
The genuine concern is in defence behind the midfield. Belgium's full-backs are inconsistent, and their centre-back options lack the elite-level quality of Courtois's former Real Madrid teammates. Against Egypt in particular, transitional defence could be tested. The pressure of legacy also looms: Belgium have yet to win a major international trophy despite years of having the most talented squad in Europe. This group stage will not define that legacy, but how they handle their exit from it might.
Egypt: Salah's final opportunity
Mohamed Salah has spent a career being one of the best players on the planet while representing a national team that has, historically, not made the most of him. After qualifying for the 2018 tournament on the back of a miraculous Salah penalty — and then watching him pick up a shoulder injury in the Champions League final days before the opening game — Egypt returned to the World Cup stage with quiet determination.
At 34, Salah knows this is his last realistic crack at the tournament. He remains a devastating presence at club level and has lifted his game for Egypt consistently over the past 18 months, driving qualification almost single-handedly at times. The squad around him is stronger than it looks — goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy is technically excellent, and the African Nations Cup runners-up have been battle-hardened by continental competition. If Salah fires and Egypt defend deep against Iran and New Zealand, a second-place finish is entirely plausible.
Iran: compact, disciplined, dangerous on the counter
Iran are the most deceptive team in Group G. They are not going to outscore Belgium and are unlikely to outplay Egypt in a technical duel. But they have qualified for back-to-back-to-back World Cups, they know exactly who they are tactically — a compact 4-4-2 block that absorbs pressure and attacks at pace through Mehdi Taremi — and they have beaten Group E-level sides with this approach before. Taremi, the Porto striker who has graduated to Inter Milan's squad, is world-class in the right system. Iran's ambition is a single qualification and they will defend their lives to make it happen.
New Zealand: the world's happiest underdogs
The All Whites qualified through an expanded OFC path and arrive at their second-ever World Cup genuinely excited to be there. They have very little realistic chance of advancing from this group — Belgium and Egypt are simply better footballing nations at almost every position — but World Cup underdogs have a habit of finding one result that shocks the bracket. New Zealand's players are professional across European leagues and the A-League, and their organisation will be far better than the group-stage exit statistics suggest they deserve. Watch them in the Iran game specifically: that is the match where they have the most realistic path to points.
Predictions
- 1st: Belgium — De Bruyne and Lukaku are too good for this group. Six points minimum, likely maximum.
- 2nd: Egypt — Salah's influence tips it over Iran in the crucial head-to-head. Expect a tense finale.
- 3rd: Iran — Likely exit on goal difference after grinding out a draw or narrow win against New Zealand.
- 4th: New Zealand — Bound to be competitive in at least one match. Will not qualify but will not embarrass the OFC either.
Keep tabs on every Group G result and live score at Scorelisto's live soccer page from June 11.
FAQ
When do Belgium play at the 2026 World Cup? Belgium's Group G fixtures begin in the opening phase of the tournament from June 12. Check the full fixture list on the official FIFA site or the Scorelisto blog for scheduling updates.
Is this Kevin De Bruyne's last World Cup? Almost certainly yes. De Bruyne will be 35 at the time of the tournament and has indicated this is his final major international campaign.
Has Egypt ever reached the World Cup knockout rounds? No. Egypt have appeared at three World Cups (1934, 1990, 2018) and have never advanced from the group stage. 2026 represents their best recent squad to change that.
Where are Group G games being played? Group G matches are spread across several of the tournament's 16 host-city venues across the United States, Canada and Mexico.