World Cup 2026: Group G Preview, Fixtures, and Top Betting Tips
2026 World Cup Group GSee All Odds
Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place from June 15 to 26, with all matches played across three West Coast venues: SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Lumen Field in Seattle, and BC Place in Vancouver. Belgium enter as clear favourites, drawing on a squad that blends world-class veterans with fresh energy, while Egypt arrive as the most dangerous dark horse, carrying arguably the most electric attacking partnership in the group.
Iran's disciplined pragmatism makes them the most tactically awkward opponent for anyone below Belgium, and the race for second place could prove one of the more intriguing sub-plots of the entire group stage. New Zealand, ranked 85th and the tournament's lowest-ranked side, will be looking to cause chaos for whoever takes their eye off the ball.
Group G Teams: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Fixtures & Schedule
Matchday 1 Monday, June 15: Belgium vs Egypt, 8pm BST — Lumen Field, Seattle
Tuesday, June 16: Iran vs New Zealand, 2am BST — SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
Matchday 2 Saturday, June 21: Belgium vs Iran, 8pm BST — SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
Saturday, June 21: New Zealand vs Egypt, 2am BST — Lumen Field, Seattle
Matchday 3 Friday, June 27: Belgium vs New Zealand, 4am BST — BC Place, Vancouver
Friday, June 27: Egypt vs Iran, 4am BST — Lumen Field, Seattle
Team Profiles
Belgium
FIFA Ranking: 9
Manager: Rudi Garcia
Star Player: Kevin De Bruyne
Odds to Win Group G: 4/9 (implied probability: ~69%)
Odds to Win Tournament: 40/1 (implied probability: ~2.4%)
Belgium enter the 2026 World Cup ranked ninth in the world, carrying the weight of a generation that promised so much yet delivered relatively little on football's biggest stage. Coach Rudi Garcia leads a side captained by Youri Tielemans, who recently lifted the UEFA Europa League with Aston Villa, drawing on a squad that genuinely balances experience with fresh energy.
The golden generation era is over in all but name. Only veterans Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku remain from the peak years. However, the new wave featuring Jeremy Doku, Charles De Ketelaere, and Leandro Trossard gives Garcia genuine attacking depth beyond the old guard. Lukaku has battled injuries, with Garcia acknowledging his striker is "out of shape" but insisting he has five weeks to get right, while De Bruyne, 34, missed four months with a hamstring injury earlier this year.
De Bruyne scored nine goals in qualifying, including three penalties, and remains the side's primary tempo-setter and set-piece taker. Their third-place finish in 2018 remains Belgium's finest hour, though the 2022 group-stage exit in Qatar left deep wounds that Garcia has spent over a year trying to heal. At 40/1 for the tournament, Belgium sit in a credible dark-horse tier, and a quarter-final run at minimum is the expectation from a group that should be negotiated comfortably.
Top 3 Bets Through Oddschecker
Top Team Goalscorer: Jeremy Doku (7/1)
Stage of Elimination: Quarter-Finals (4/1)
Exact Group Points: 9 (15/8)
Egypt
FIFA Ranking: 29
Manager: Hossam Hassan
Star Player: Mohamed Salah
Odds to Win Group G: 9/2 (implied probability: ~18%)
Odds to Win Tournament: 300/1 (implied probability: ~0.3%)
A semi-final run at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year set the stage for an Egyptian side that looks ready to get out of its group for the first time in history.
Mohamed Salah enters the tournament just two goals behind the national team scoring record of 69 held by current head coach Hossam Hassan himself. The Liverpool forward scored twice at the 2018 World Cup and is aiming to add to that tally in North America in what is likely his last appearance at football's biggest stage. At 33, this is likely his peak-level World Cup, and his performances will define Egypt's ceiling in North America.
Omar Marmoush adds explosive goalscoring from wide positions and the movement to exploit defensive transitions, meaning Egypt are more than just one player. Egypt were exceptional in qualifying, winning eight and drawing twice across 10 unbeaten matches, conceding just two goals throughout — a defensive structure that gives their attack the platform to be decisive. At 300/1 to win the tournament, there is no value in the outright, but Egypt to qualify from the group is where the smart money looks.
Top 3 Bets Through Oddschecker
Top Team Goalscorer: Omar Marmoush (4/1)
Top African Team: Yes (7/1)
To Qualify Group G: Yes (4/11)
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Iran
FIFA Ranking: 21
Manager: Amir Ghalenoei
Star Player: Mehdi Taremi
Odds to Win Group G: 7/1 (implied probability: ~12.5%)
Odds to Win Tournament: 500/1 (implied probability: ~0.2%)
By finishing first in Group A of the AFC third qualifying round, Iran booked their place at the 2026 World Cup, marking a fourth consecutive finals appearance and seventh in their history. Manager Amir Ghalenoei's side can be a tough watch, but it is often effective. Iran grinds out games from a disciplined 4-4-2, playing organised, defensive football that has frustrated better sides at previous tournaments. Mehdi Taremi remains Iran's most important player by some distance. The Olympiacos striker scored 10 goals across 15 qualifying appearances, and his overall record of 59 goals in 103 caps underlines just how vital he will be to Iran's hopes in North America.
A notable concern heading into the group stage is that the Persian Pro League was suspended since February, meaning domestic-based players have gone months without competitive action. Only Europe-based players like Taremi and Alireza Jahanbakhsh arrive with sharp match fitness. There is also a significant off-field complication, with Taremi's mandatory service in Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps making his entry into the United States a potential flashpoint that the federation and FIFA have been working to navigate.
At 500/1 for the tournament, there is nothing there, but Iran's opening fixture against New Zealand is a must-win, and their discipline and Taremi's quality make them a legitimate threat for third.
Top 3 Bets Through Oddschecker
Top Team Goalscorer: Mehdi Taremi (11/10)
To Reach Last 16: Iran (4/1)
Top Asian Team: Iran (7/1)
New Zealand
FIFA Ranking: 85
Manager: Darren Bazeley
Star Player: Chris Wood
Odds to Win Group G: 27/1 (implied probability: ~3.6%)
Odds to Win Tournament: 1500/1 (implied probability: ~0.07%)
This is New Zealand's third World Cup appearance, and their most recent came in 2010 when they went unbeaten through the group stage, drawing all three games, including a famous result against defending champions Italy — still one of the proudest moments in the programme's history.
New Zealand arrive at the 2026 World Cup ranked 85th, the lowest-ranked team in the entire tournament, but their place here was earned and not gifted. Under coach Darren Bazeley, the All Whites swept through OFC qualification with five wins from five, conceding just one goal across the entire campaign.
Chris Wood is New Zealand's all-time top scorer with 45 goals in 88 appearances and has been in particularly fine international form, scoring 11 times in 14 outings over the past two years, making him a genuine individual threat even against the group's stronger opponents.
Head coach Darren Bazeley, a former Watford and Wolves defender who finished his playing career in New Zealand, has coached almost every player in the squad through the youth levels and understands their capabilities better than anyone. A 4-1 win against Chile in March 2026 marked New Zealand's first-ever victory against a South American opponent, confirming the group's ability to produce quality on the right day.
At 1500/1, the outright is not worth touching, but New Zealand will make Group G competitive, and their match against Iran has genuine upset potential.
Top 3 Bets Through Oddschecker
Top Team Goalscorer: Callum McCowatt (25/1)
Exact Group Points: 0 Points (3/1)
Stage of Elimination: Group Stage (8/15)
Who is Favourite to Win Group G?
Belgium are the firm Group G favourites, priced at 4/9 (implied: ~69%), with Egypt's 9/2 reflecting their status as the most credible challenger should the Red Devils underperform. The weight of Belgium's ranking, squad depth, and tournament pedigree makes their position at the top of the market entirely justified.
Iran at 7/1 offer a speculative each-way angle for those attracted to their experience and organisational discipline, while New Zealand at 27/1 are realistically competing for one of the best third-place spots rather than a top-two finish. The real betting story in Group G is not who wins it, but who takes second, and Salah versus Taremi may well be the contest that decides it.
Group G Predictions
Belgium 2-1 Egypt
Iran 1-0 New Zealand
Belgium 1-0 Iran
New Zealand 1-2 Egypt
Belgium 3-0 New Zealand
Egypt 1-1 Iran
Predicted Group G Standings
- Belgium
- Egypt
- Iran
- New Zealand
Group G Betting Tips
Win Market: Belgium - 1pt Win @ 1/2 (Betway)
To Qualify Group G: Egypt - 1pt Win @ 4/11 (bet365)
To Finish Bottom Group G: Iran - 0.75pt Win @ 7/2 (bet365)
