With just over a few days remaining until the biggest global sporting spectacle takes centre stage, national teams and their head coaches are making last-minute alterations before they step foot in North America to fight for a chance to lift the ultimate prize in football: the World Cup.
Keeping that in mind, we at SportsKhabri are bringing you a comprehensive preview of the group stage, analysing each team.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, comprising Belgium, Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand. This exciting pool features two former Premier League greats in Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah, who will be carrying a lot of the hopes of their respective nations.
Belgium’s golden generation, having boasted superstars like Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, and Vincent Kompany in their prime, were once one of the favourites for the World Cup and the Euros. However, Belgium never really lived up to the hype and are still chasing an elusive international trophy. Their best finish at the World Cup has been a third-place finish in 2018 in Russia, a game in which De Rode Duivels defeated England to secure the bronze medal.
Their most recent World Cup outing in 2022 was an underwhelming campaign, as they crashed out in the group stage. They qualified for this World Cup without losing a game, though, and by topping their qualification group, so one can expect them to perform much better.
Although Belgium do not have as star-studded a line-up as they did before, they still possess a host of talented players in Jérémy Doku, Youri Tielemans, Charles De Ketelaere, and Leandro Trossard, with veterans Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Axel Witsel still hanging about to make for a mix of youth and experience.
Belgium can’t be taken lightly and are still a team to be reckoned with. After the disappointment of the previous World Cup, they will be looking forward to a much-improved showing.
Iran have failed to get out of their group in all six of their previous appearances at the World Cup. They will be looking to change that record this time around.
The Persian Cheetahs have landed in Mexico despite visa and security concerns due to their ongoing conflict back home with the USA. At one point, there were even concerns regarding their participation in the tournament. However, they are here, and given the group they are in, they have a genuine shot at making it out of the group stage.
The three-time Asian champions have a couple of top talents in their team. Captain Mehdi Taremi is their chief goalscorer, having scored 59 goals in 103 appearances for his country, while midfielder Saman Ghoddos and winger Mehdi Ghayedi will also be worth watching out for.
Coming into this tournament, Iran topped their qualification group with only two defeats in ten games. In their last five encounters, they have won three, drawn one, and lost just once, with their only loss arriving against Nigeria in an international friendly.
The Pharaohs missed qualification for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. However, led by the world-class Mohamed Salah, they have qualified for the World Cup this time around. Salah was in outstanding form throughout Egypt’s qualifying campaign, leading them virtually single-handedly over the line with more than ten goals.
With the likes of Omar Marmoush, Trézéguet, and Hamza Abdelkarim, Salah will have apt support to take his nation to the knockouts and out of a very manageable group.
Egypt topped their qualification group with ease, with eight wins and two defeats in ten games. They have a good balance of youth and experience and possess a good defensive structure under coach Hossam Hassan. If their forward line gets going at this World Cup, they have a real chance of reaching as far as the quarter-finals, and from there it will be anybody’s guess.
New Zealand are the sole representatives from Oceania, with Australia having taken the Asian route. After a hiatus of 16 years, they are back at this stage as the lowest-ranked country (85th).
In their previous two campaigns, New Zealand have been knocked out in the first round itself and haven’t won a single World Cup match. This time around, the All Whites will be looking to grab their first win of the tournament at the very least.
New Zealand have a relatively weaker squad compared to the other three teams in the group, who boast several top players plying their trade in Europe’s top leagues. Their key players are Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood, talented Motherwell winger Elijah Just, and Swansea City midfielder Marko Stamenic.
Their qualification route for the World Cup was a relatively easy one. They won all their games to top the group and were the solitary team to qualify from the Oceania bracket. Their recent form is concerning, though, as they have lost four out of their five international fixtures.
Belgium are the outright favourites to top this group, as on paper they are easily the superior, more experienced side compared to their groupmates. They had a fairly easy qualifying group as well and made it through without losing once. That said, although they have a top squad, they aren’t exactly considered in the league of France, Argentina, England, and Spain, who are the major contenders for the title, and will need to punch above their weight big time if they aspire to capture that elusive World Cup title.
The next top-ranked team in this group is Iran, who are currently ranked 21st in the world, but considering the situation surrounding their country, it’s difficult to see them compete well, and understandably so. Amid geopolitical tensions, it could be a very difficult position for the players.
Egypt, meanwhile, will come into this competition with a lot of confidence and not much pressure or expectation, as they are not the top-most African side participating in the tournament this time around. Although they are continental heavyweights in their own right, it’s a great opportunity for Salah & Co to prove everyone wrong and go deep in the tournament.
Lastly, New Zealand are the lowest-ranked team in this group and heavy underdogs for the same reason. They could play freely without the burden of expectations, and even if they can win or draw even one of their group games and get points on the board, it would be considered a great result for them.
We believe Belgium should easily top the group, barring a cataclysmic campaign. They will be followed in second spot by Egypt, who should get the better of Iran for the same. With Iran finishing third, hoping to make it to the next stage as one of the eight best third-placed teams, we anticipate the Kiwis taking the last spot.
Belgium (1st)
Egypt (2nd)
Islamic Republic of Iran (3rd)
New Zealand (4th)
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