The dust has settled in Group G, and Belgium and Egypt will finish in the Top 2 to directly qualify for the World Cup 2026 Round of 32. Both teams did just enough to advance, accumulating five points apiece.
After back-to-back draws against Egypt (1-1) and Iran (0-0), Belgium caught fire in their group-stage finale against New Zealand (5-1) at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada, on Friday. If they didn’t score that many against the All Whites, Rudi Garcia’s men might have finished second behind the Pharaohs. Meanwhile, Egypt were held to a 1-1 draw by Iran after winning 3-1 against New Zealand last time out.
These SBOTOP World Cup 2026 results have put Iran (three points) in third place and New Zealand (one point) in fourth. As such, the All Whites are officially eliminated from this year’s finals, while the Mesopotamian Lions will have to wait because they don’t control their World Cup 2026 odds.
Egypt 1-1 Iran
Egypt were off to a brisk start against Iran, as Mahmoud Saber’s strike in the fifth minute went through the grasp of goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, who initially parried a cross away inside the penalty area. However, the Mesopotamian Lions didn’t wait long to get their chance to equalise.
Mohammad Mohebi drew a penalty after applying enough pressure on Mohamed Abdelmonem at the back in the ninth minute. Mehdi Taremi stepped up to take the spot-kick, but Mostafa Shobeir dove in the right direction to deny the Olympiacos man his first goal of this year’s World Cup.
Despite this, Iran were not to be deterred, as they found their leveller in the 14th minute. After Milad Mohammadi forced Shobeir into a save, Ramin Rezaeian, who scored their first goal of the tournament against New Zealand, was at the right place at the right time to drill the ball into the top-left corner. Egypt (4:26) and Iran (13:13) scored their fastest goals in World Cup history.
Iran continued to grow into the match, with Egypt taking Mohamed Salah off in the lineup as a precaution, as Taremi was inches away from putting his team ahead when his glancing header hit the post. The Mesopotamian Lions thought they won the match in stoppage time when Shoja Khalilzadeh scored inside the box after a mad scramble, but the VAR deemed the veteran centre-back offside in the build-up.
There was still time for one more twist, with Saeid Ezatolahi heading against the crossbar, and Iran will now have to wait to see if their three points are enough to move on to the knockouts.
The Mesopotamian Lions are only the third Asian country to finish the group stage of a World Cup undefeated, joining Japan (2002 and 2026) and South Korea (2002). Their 1.94 expected goals today was their highest xG in a World Cup contest, besting their 1.88 against the United States in 1998.
New Zealand 1-5 Belgium
Belgium had to wait for nearly two weeks to record their first goal of the tournament by one of their players, and the Red Devils’ wait was worth it, as they ran roughshod over New Zealand.
Rudi Garcia’s side dominated the first half, as New Zealand failed to have a single attempt. Leandro Trossard thought he put Belgium ahead in the 11th minute, but his shot was cleared off the goal line. Minutes later, he thought he had won a penalty when his strike hit Finn Surman’s arm, but to no avail.
Belgium’s breakthrough arrived near the half-hour mark, as Trossard converted from close range after a corner scramble. The Arsenal forward completed his brace five minutes after the restart, as he prodded home after seeing his initial attempt blocked by an All Whites defender.
Trossard could’ve had an assist when he laid a pinpoint pass into the path of Matias Fernandez-Pardo, whose shot in the 65th minute sailed over the crossbar. However, he was involved when Kevin De Bruyne made it 3-0 after picking up Trossard’s loose ball for a sharp, low drive just outside the box.
Elijah Just scored a consolation for New Zealand in the 84th minute, as he rifled a volley off a cleared corner kick.
Romelu Lukaku came on late, and the Napoli striker made an immediate impact – restoring Belgium’s three-goal cushion with a glancing header before turning provider for fellow substitute Alexis Saelemaekers deep into stoppage time.
Belgium had a whopping 35 shots against New Zealand, their third-most attempts in a World Cup match on record, behind their 40 against the United States in 2014 and 36 against El Salvador in 1970.
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