World Cup 2026 Group G Preview: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Group G is one of the most predictable groups on paper — and that's exactly why it might trip up bracket fillers. Belgium and Egypt are the favorites. Iran are organized and physical. New Zealand are the feel-good qualifier. Two will advance, but the order matters for the Round of 32 path.
The teams at a glance
- Belgium — FIFA #9. Past golden-generation, current rebuild. Belgium preview.
- Egypt — FIFA #29. Mohamed Salah's World Cup. Egypt preview.
- Iran — FIFA #21. Sixth World Cup appearance.
- New Zealand — FIFA #95. First World Cup since 2010.
Belgium: the rebuild starts here
Belgium's "golden generation" (Hazard, Vermaelen, Witsel) is gone. The new core: Kevin De Bruyne (still elite at 35), Jérémy Doku, Charles De Ketelaere, Loïs Openda up front. The defense is the question — Wout Faes, Zeno Debast, and a left-back rotation without Eden Hazard's brother.
Belgium should win Group G but it won't be smooth. Expect 2 wins, 1 draw, 7 points, +4 goal difference. The Round of 16 is where the rebuild gets tested.
Egypt: Salah's last World Cup window
Mohamed Salah is 33. This is realistically his last World Cup at peak. Egypt qualified comfortably out of Africa. The supporting cast is decent — Mohamed Elneny in midfield, Mostafa Mohamed and Marwan Hamdy as supporting attackers, Mohamed Abdelmonem at center back.
Egypt's ceiling depends on Salah. If he's healthy and clinical, top of the group is on the table. Realistic outcome: 2nd place, 4-5 points, a wildcard-quality 3rd is also plausible if he's less than 100%.
Iran: organized, physical, capable of an upset
Iran are at their sixth World Cup. They are tactically disciplined, physically strong, and have just enough attacking quality to score against tired defenses. Mehdi Taremi (Inter Milan), Sardar Azmoun, and Alireza Jahanbakhsh form a recognizable front line.
Iran are the team most likely to nick a result against Belgium or Egypt. Realistic outcome: 4 points, 3rd place. They've never advanced from a World Cup group, but this is the closest they've been to changing that.
New Zealand: just being here is the win
New Zealand qualified out of Oceania for the first time since 2010. Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest) leads the line. Marko Stamenić (Olympiacos) anchors midfield. The squad is built mostly from A-League and Championship-level pros.
Realistic outcome: 0-1 points, 4th place. New Zealand's 2010 team famously drew all three group matches. This squad is unlikely to match that. Don't pick them to advance under any scoring system.
Predictions
- 1st: Belgium — De Bruyne and squad depth.
- 2nd: Egypt — Salah carries them through if fit.
- 3rd: Iran — strongest 3rd-place team in the bottom-half groups.
- 4th: New Zealand — feel-good appearance, no realistic path.
Bracket strategy for Group G
- Belgium 1st is the safe pool play.Don't overthink it. They're the best team here.
- Egypt-Iran for 2nd is the key call.If Salah's fitness is in question pre-tournament, Iran is genuinely live for 2nd. In default pools, Egypt is the safer pick.
- Iran for a wildcard slot is value. Their floor is 4 points. Their resume includes draws against top teams in past World Cups.
Make your Group G picks
Lock your group standings and wildcard picks before the first kickoff on June 11.