World Cup 2026 Group G Profile: Who Will Progress?

The draw could hardly have gone better for Belgium: World Cup Group G is arguably the most manageable draw for the Belgians. Egypt brings along superstar Salah, a player who can single-handedly decide the outcome of a match. Iran arrives with a well-oiled team that has maintained the same core lineup for years and is tough to break down. New Zealand is making its third World Cup appearance and, with veteran Chris Wood, has a striker looking to make a name for himself.

Belgium is the clear favorite to finish first in this group: the squad led by Courtois, De Bruyne, and Lukaku is simply too strong for the competition. Egypt, led by striker Salah, is expected to finish second. Meanwhile, Iran and New Zealand are battling it out to see who will secure the third spot and keep their hopes alive for the knockout stage. For Iran, it would be their first-ever World Cup knockout stage appearance after seven attempts. For New Zealand, on the other hand, just one point is enough to make history.

Egypt

Seven-time African champions, yet they have only qualified for the World Cup four times. This discrepancy says a lot about Egyptian soccer. In 1934, the country became the first African nation ever to compete in a World Cup; in 1990 and 2018, they were eliminated in the group stage. For 2026, the hope lies with Mohamed Salah. At 33, this will likely be his last World Cup, and the Liverpool star is still playing at the top level. In the African qualifiers, he led the Pharaohs to a commanding first-place finish in their group with eight wins and two draws.

Belgium

15 World Cup appearances, two semifinal appearances, and never a final. Coach Rudi Garcia is relying on his proven core: Thibaut Courtois in goal, Kevin De Bruyne as the playmaker, and Romelu Lukaku as the target man. Thirteen of the 26 players on the roster were already part of the squad for the 2022 World Cup. Noteworthy: No European nation has qualified for the World Cup as many times without ever winning the title. The golden generation is expected to deliver one last time this year before the young talents have to prove themselves.

New Zealand

For the first time since 2010, the All Whites are back at the World Cup, thanks to a convincing 3-0 victory over New Caledonia in the OFC qualifying final. This is only the nation’s third World Cup appearance ever, and on both previous occasions, they were eliminated in the group stage. This time, their hope has a name: Chris Wood. He is well on his way to becoming New Zealand’s all-time leading World Cup scorer. If the All Whites are to make any headway in this group, it will be through his goals.

Iran

Iran has participated seven times and has never advanced past the group stage. They hope to finally break that curse in North America. Team Melli qualified as the dominant group winner in the AFC qualifiers and is competing in the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time. Captain Mehdi Taremi, with 56 international goals, is the most prolific active striker in Iranian soccer. Off the field, the political situation is a hot topic: Iran had requested to move its group stage matches out of American stadiums due to the ongoing conflict with the U.S.—FIFA rejected the request.