World Cup 2026 Group G

The golden generation has aged out. Eden Hazard retired, Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen moved on. Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku remain, and Domenico Tedesco, who replaced Roberto Martínez, has integrated younger legs: Arne Engels, Johan Bakayoko, and Loïs Openda, whose pace adds a transitional threat previous Belgian sides lacked. Belgium topped their UEFA qualifying group without dropping a match. The 2018 third-place finish is the program's high-water mark; the 2022 group-stage exit raised doubts about whether the window has closed. The unresolved question is centre-back: no settled partnership has emerged since Vincent Kompany's retirement. If defensive transitions are exploited, an early knockout exit is possible. With De Bruyne pulling strings, a quarter-final run remains realistic.

Seven Africa Cup of Nations titles, more than any nation, yet zero World Cup knockout appearances in three tries. That gap between continental dominance and global performance defines Egypt. Under Rui Vitória, the side is built around Mohamed Salah, the nation's all-time leading scorer. Mostafa Mohamed provides a physical centre-forward presence that complements Salah's movement from the right. Mohamed Elneny anchors midfield with work rate. Egypt conceded only five goals across CAF qualifying, reflecting Vitória's emphasis on structure. The weakness is predictability: when Salah is double-marked and central progression stalls, the attack becomes one-dimensional. The 2022 playoff loss to Senegal on penalties still stings. A round of 16 appearance would be Egypt's greatest World Cup result, requiring points from Belgium or Iran.

Three goals conceded in the final AFC qualifying round. That defensive record, with Alireza Beiranvand's shot-stopping anchoring the team for a decade, carried Iran through with matches to spare. Sardar Azmoun and Mehdi Taremi form one of Asia's most prolific strike partnerships, though Taremi's form has fluctuated since leaving Porto. Six World Cups, zero knockout appearances: that streak defines their tournament identity. The 2018 campaign was the closest near-miss, narrow defeats to Spain and Portugal where a VAR decision and an Iago Aspas stoppage-time goal eliminated them. The current squad plays two banks of four with compressed space and aggressive wing-backs. Azmoun's movement between the lines adds a scoring dimension previous iterations lacked. This draw offers Iran's best chance to end the drought: New Zealand is winnable, and Egypt is a fixture where defensive discipline can earn a result.

In 2010, New Zealand drew all three group matches against Slovakia, Italy, and Paraguay to exit as the tournament's only undefeated team that did not advance. That result shapes their 2026 debut under the expanded format. Chris Wood, the Nottingham Forest striker, provides an aerial focal point most Oceania debutants cannot claim, and Liberato Cacace adds overlapping threat from left-back. The squad is drawn primarily from the A-League, lower-tier English divisions, and domestic football, which limits the ceiling. But the 2010 draw against Italy proves organization can bridge talent gaps over 90 minutes. Conceding early against any of the other three teams likely ends hope. Staying compact and forcing Iran or Egypt into impatient football is the narrow path to a point.

Belgium versus Egypt on matchday one is the group's pivotal fixture. The last meeting, a 2018 friendly in Cairo, ended 1-0 to Egypt and exposed Belgium's vulnerability against disciplined counter-attacking opponents. De Bruyne's passing through congested zones against Salah's threat on the break is the individual contest that could decide the group. If Belgium drop points here, Iran's defensive structure becomes a weapon. Iran versus Egypt on the final matchday could then decide the second qualification spot directly, two teams that have never advanced past the group stage each seeing this as their best opportunity. New Zealand's most realistic target is disrupting whichever of the three favourites enters a match needing a result.

The Group G winner faces the Group H runner-up in the Round of 32, potentially pairing Belgium against Uruguay or Saudi Arabia. Finishing second flips the assignment: the runner-up meets the Group H winner, likely Spain or Uruguay, a harder path. A third-placed team enters the pool of eight best third-placed finishers, drawn against a group winner from another section, a tougher draw than facing a runner-up. The Round of 32 runs 28 June to 3 July 2026.