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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nFIFA World Cup 2026 Group G Teams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Group G has a clear pecking order in place. Belgium should easily advance, Egypt and Iran are at a similar level (with Iran higher in the FIFA rankings), while New Zealand is the side the others will be looking to pile up goals against.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Belgium<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
FIFA Ranking: <\/strong>9 | Manager: <\/strong>Rudi Garcia | Qualified: <\/strong>UEFA Group J winners<\/p>\n\n\n\nBelgium topped their qualifying group to get to its 15th World Cup. The spine of the team remains in place from previous tournaments: goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and striker Romelu Lukaku. Premier League stars Youri Tielemans, Amadou Onana, Leandro Trossard and Jeremy Doku provide further quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iran<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
FIFA Ranking: <\/strong>21 | Manager: <\/strong>Amir Ghalenoei | Qualified: <\/strong>AFC third round Group A winners<\/p>\n\n\n\nIran will appear at their fourth consecutive World Cup. The biggest talking point is the absence of Sardar Azmoun, the country\u2019s third-highest goalscorer. The attacking burden will now fall on the shoulders of captain Mehdi Taremi, who plays for Olympiacos at club level. Saman Ghoddos is another player who will be asked to step up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Egypt<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
FIFA Ranking: <\/strong>29 | Manager: <\/strong>Hossam Hassan | Qualified: <\/strong>CAF Group A winners<\/p>\n\n\n\nEgypt make their return to the World Cup finals after missing out on Qatar 2022. The team\u2019s manager, Hossam Hassan, remains the all-time top scorer, but with Mohamed Salah just two goals shy, the 33-year-old should be in a position to claim that title. Salah is the star of the show for Egypt, and he will be looking to impress now as he leaves Liverpool. Omar Marmoush of Manchester City will join him in the attack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
New Zealand<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
FIFA Ranking: <\/strong>85 | Manager: <\/strong>Darren Bazeley | Qualified: <\/strong>OFC third round winners<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe All Whites return to the world\u2019s biggest stage for the first time since 2010. Captain Chris Wood is the all-time top scorer and remains its key player. Tommy Smith, 36, who plays in the fifth tier of English football for Braintree Town, has been recalled for his leadership qualities. They\u2019re the only two players to have played at the 2010 World Cup, New Zealand\u2019s last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Players to Watch in Group G<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n- Mohamed Salah (Egypt) <\/strong>Egypt\u2019s captain and arguably the greatest African player of all time. He may not have hit the heights for Liverpool this season, but he\u2019ll be ready to deliver for his country, simultaneously showcasing his skills for a new contract. Everything Egypt does runs through him.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Kevin De Bruyne<\/strong>(Belgium) <\/strong>He may be 34, but he still has vision that can open the door for those playing in front of him. Likely his last World Cup, the Napoli midfielder will be keen to show he\u2019s still got it one final time before bowing out. His fitness is the only concern.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Mehdi Taremi (Iran) <\/strong>At 33, he\u2019s also likely featuring at his last World Cup finals, and is vital for his nation. The forward, who has scored 57 goals on 102 caps, will be the player tasked with striking up front.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Omar Marmoush (Egypt)<\/strong> The Manchester City forward is Egypt\u2019s second-best player after Salah. His pace will give Egypt something extra in attack, the area of the pitch where they\u2019re strongest.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Chris Wood (New Zealand) <\/strong>New Zealand\u2019s 34-year-old captain is their all-time leader in goals and probably their best player ever. He leads the line superbly, as proven by his exploits in the Premier League. Helping his nation record their first-ever win at a World Cup would be some way to sign off on his international career.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Young talents in Group G<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n- Hamza Abdelkarim, Egypt<\/strong> An 18-year-old wildcard inclusion by Egypt. He\u2019s a striker for Barcelona\u2019s reserve team.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Matias Fernandez-Pardo, Belgium<\/strong> The 21-year-old Lille midfielder comes in uncapped but deserves his place based on club form.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Tyler Bindon, New Zealan<\/strong>d He already has plenty of caps at just 21 and represents the future of New Zealand soccer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Group G qualification scenarios: Who goes through?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Belgium are firm favourites because of their quality in depth. Not winning the group would be a shock. The race for second will be between Egypt and Iran. The former could have the edge thanks to the firepower they possess in Salah and Marmoush at the top of the pitch. New Zealand will go all out to win their first match at a World Cup finals, but won\u2019t have enough to challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The most likely outcome is that Belgium will win Group G with Egypt as runners-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Potential Round of 32 matchups <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Group G winner will face the third-placed team from Group A, E, H, I or J. The team that finishes runners-up in Group G will play the second-placed team from Group D. If a third team qualifies for the Round of 32 from Group G, they will take on the winner of Group B or Group I.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Group G schedule FIFA World Cup 2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Group G matches will run from June 15 to 26 in the United States and Canada. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Group G Round 1 schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
June 15 \u2013 Belgium vs. Egypt <\/strong>| Seattle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIt may be the first match in the group, but it\u2019s quite likely a battle between the two top finishers. Belgium will want to get off to a winning start to assert their authority. They\u2019re -148 to win, Egypt are +400, and the draw is +280.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
June 15 \u2013 Iran vs. New Zealand <\/strong>| San Francisco<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nNew Zealand begin their first quest for a first-ever World Cup victory. Iran will have high expectations here, but they won\u2019t have it all their own way. Iran are -113 to win, the draw is +240, and a New Zealand victory is +333.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Group G Round 2 schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
June 21 \u2013 Belgium vs. Iran <\/strong>| San Francisco<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nBelgium have too much quality for Iran. But with second place up for grabs, could Taremi & Co. orchestrate an upset? Belgium to win is -240, Iran to win is +700, and the draw is +350.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
June 21 \u2013 New Zealand vs. Egypt <\/strong>| Vancouver<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nThis will be a must-win game for Egypt, especially if they don\u2019t manage to pick up any points in their opener against New Zealand. Egypt\u2019s superiority is reflected by their odds of -128 to win. The draw is +280, and the victory for New Zealand is +333.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Group G Round 3 schedule<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
June 26 \u2013 Egypt vs. Iran <\/strong>| Seattle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nJune 26 \u2013 New Zealand vs. Belgium <\/strong>| Vancouver<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nEgypt-Iran is likely the match that secures second place for the winner. This could also be the round of games that sees Belgium lock in first place. If they\u2019ve already done so, it opens the door for New Zealand to earn something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Past 5 games for Group G teams<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Belgium: Beat Tunisia 5-0 and Croatia 2-0, <\/strong>drew with Mexico 1-1 and defeated the U.S. 5-2 (all friendlies). Beat Liechtenstein 7-0 (World Cup qualifying).<\/p>\n\n\n\nEgypt: <\/strong>Lost to Brazil 2-1, beat Russia 1-0, drew 0-0 with Spain and beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 (all friendlies). Lost to Nigeria on penalties (Africa Cup of Nations).<\/p>\n\n\n\nIran: Beat Mali 2-0, drew 0-0 with Gambia, <\/strong>Defeated Costa Rica 5-0, lost to Nigeria 2-1 and Uzbekistan on penalties (all friendlies).<\/p>\n\n\n\nNew Zealand: <\/strong>Lost to England 1-0 and Haiti 4-0, defeated Chile 4-1, lost to Finland and Ecuador 2-0 (all friendlies).<\/p>\n\n\n\nGroup G head-to-head history<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Belgium vs. Egypt: <\/strong>Belgium has beaten Egypt once and lost to them three times. Their most recent match was in a 2022 friendly; Egypt triumphed 2-1.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBelgium vs. New Zealand: <\/strong>No previous meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\nBelgium vs. Iran: <\/strong>No previous meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEgypt vs. New Zealand: <\/strong>Three meetings have ended in two Egyptian wins and a draw. The most recent was in 2024, a 1-0 FIFA Series win for Egypt.<\/p>\n\n\n\nEgypt vs. Iran: <\/strong>The teams have split two previous matches, the most recent an Iranian wion on penalties in 2000.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIran vs. New Zealand:<\/strong> Played each other twice. The last time was in 2003, with Iran recording a 3-0 victory. Previous to that was a 1-1 draw in 1973.<\/p>\n\n\n\nGroup G thrillers: Matches we’ll never forget<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Iran vs. the United States, 1998 World Cup <\/strong> Iran beat the U.S. 2-1 in a politically charged game. Goals from Hamid Estili and Mehdi Estili sent millions of Iranians into the streets in celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\nNew Zealand, 2010 World Cup<\/strong> New Zealand drew all three of their group games and, in doing so, became only the second nation to remain unbeaten in the group stage and not progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n