{"id":15582,"date":"2026-06-25T14:08:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T08:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/?p=15582"},"modified":"2026-06-25T14:08:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T08:38:02","slug":"group-g-preview-belgium-egypt-iran-and-new-zealand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/group-g-preview-belgium-egypt-iran-and-new-zealand\/","title":{"rendered":"Group G Preview: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand"},"content":{"rendered":"

Belgium have been here before. Not just at World Cups \u2014 at the edge of something great. The golden generation is older now, but not gone. Kevin De Bruyne still plays. Romelu Lukaku still scores. And at the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122, in a group they are expected to win comfortably, Belgium arrive with unfinished business and the squad depth to finally do something about it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Egypt bring African pedigree and the lingering presence of Mohamed Salah, perhaps playing in his last World Cup. Iran are compact, disciplined, and capable of a result on any given day. New Zealand are here because World Cup Football 2026 opened its doors to more teams \u2014 and they intend to make the most of it.<\/span><\/p>\n

For Indian fans, Group G offers midnight kick-offs and early mornings \u2014 and at least one match, Belgium vs Egypt on June 16, worth staying up for.<\/span><\/p>\n

Want to watch Belgium, Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand live? ZEE5 is the official streaming home for the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122<\/a> in India \u2014 explore the latest ZEE5\u00a0 FIFA subscription<\/a> plans and catch every Group G match live<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Belgium<\/a>: the golden generation’s last stand<\/b><\/h2>\n

The peak of Belgium’s golden generation was supposed to be the 2018 World Cup. They finished third. Four years later in Qatar, they were eliminated in the group stage. Time has not waited for them \u2014 but the core has not entirely gone either.<\/span><\/p>\n

Kevin De Bruyne, when fit and available, is still one of the finest midfielders on the planet \u2014 the kind of player who sees passes that others simply do not. Romelu Lukaku remains a physical presence up front, capable of holding up play and finishing chances that come his way. Around them, a younger generation has grown in confidence: Lois Openda brings pace and directness in attack, while Amadou Onana provides muscle and composure in midfield. Belgium is not what it was in 2018. They are something different \u2014 and potentially more dangerous for it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Egypt<\/a>: the Salah question<\/b><\/h2>\n

Everything about Egypt at this tournament begins and ends with Mohamed Salah. At 33, this is almost certainly his final World Cup appearance \u2014 and for a player who has spent his career in the global spotlight, the chance to perform on football’s biggest stage carries extra weight.<\/span><\/p>\n

Salah is still producing at club level. Whether he can replicate that form in a system built around him remains the central question for Egypt’s campaign. Their best result at a World Cup was reaching the second round in 1990. This group gives them a realistic opportunity to better that. The match against Iran is the one they must win. Against Belgium, they will need Salah at his very best.<\/span><\/p>\n

Iran<\/a>: organized, consistent, and not to be taken lightly<\/b><\/h2>\n

Iran are the Asian Football Confederation’s most consistent qualifiers for the World Cup. Three consecutive tournaments. Each time, they have made opponents feel uncomfortable who expected an easy afternoon.<\/span><\/p>\n

Their strength is collective. They defend deeply, press intelligently, and are hard to break down in the first hour of a match. Sardar Azmoun, when fit and motivated, gives them a quality centre-forward who can hold the ball and create space. The challenge for Iran is always the same \u2014 they can push, but can they score? In a group with Belgium and Egypt, the margins are fine. A win against Egypt on the final day could be enough to surprise everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n

New Zealand<\/a>: writing their own World Cup story<\/b><\/h2>\n

New Zealand are making their return to the World Cup stage, and they arrive in the spirit for which the expanded FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 was designed. They are not here to make up the numbers \u2014 at least, that is not how they will approach it.<\/span><\/p>\n

The All Whites are a well-organised side who compete hard and make life difficult for opponents. Chris Wood, if selected, brings Premier League experience and a goalscoring record that earns respect at any level. A positive result against Iran or Egypt would properly announce their arrival. For Indian fans watching Oceanian football at a World Cup for the first time, New Zealand are the kind of team that reminds you why the tournament works.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Group G fixtures (all times IST)<\/b><\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Match<\/b><\/td>\nFixture<\/b><\/td>\nDate (IST)<\/b><\/td>\nKick-off (IST)<\/b><\/td>\nVenue<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1<\/span><\/td>\nBelgium vs Egypt<\/span><\/td>\nJun 16<\/span><\/td>\n12:30 AM<\/span><\/td>\nLumen Field, Seattle<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/span><\/td>\nIran vs New Zealand<\/span><\/td>\nJun 16<\/span><\/td>\n6:30 AM<\/span><\/td>\nSoFi Stadium, Los Angeles<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/span><\/td>\nBelgium vs Iran<\/span><\/td>\nJun 22<\/span><\/td>\n12:30 AM<\/span><\/td>\nSoFi Stadium, Los Angeles<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/span><\/td>\nNew Zealand vs Egypt<\/span><\/td>\nJun 22<\/span><\/td>\n6:30 AM<\/span><\/td>\nBC Place, Vancouver<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/span><\/td>\nNew Zealand vs Belgium<\/span><\/td>\nJun 27<\/span><\/td>\n8:30 AM<\/span><\/td>\nBC Place, Vancouver<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/span><\/td>\nEgypt vs Iran<\/span><\/td>\nJun 27<\/span><\/td>\n8:30 AM<\/span><\/td>\nLumen Field, Seattle<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

The verdict<\/b><\/h2>\n

Belgium will top the group. Their quality across the pitch is simply too much for the other three sides over six matches. The fight for second is genuinely interesting \u2014 Egypt have Salah, Iran have organisation, and the final round of matches with Egypt vs Iran played simultaneously could go in several directions. New Zealand’s best chance of a result comes against Egypt, and if they can take it, they remain in the conversation until matchday three. Belgium will go through with ease. Second place: Egypt and Iran battling all the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

Watch the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122 live in India on ZEE5. Choose the \u20b9799 quarterly plan or the \u20b91,699 annual plan to stream every Group G match live.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Disclaimer:<\/i><\/b> Subscription pack prices are subject to change from time to time. Please visit the subscription page for the most up-to-date pricing information.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Belgium have been here before. Not just at World Cups \u2014 at the edge of something great. The golden generation is older now, but not gone. Kevin De Bruyne still plays. Romelu Lukaku still scores. And at the FIFA World Cup 2026\u2122, in a group they are expected to win comfortably, Belgium arrive with unfinished […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":15163,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3019,1],"tags":[3031,3120],"class_list":["post-15582","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fifa-world-cup-2026","category-uncategorized","tag-fifa-world-cup-2026","tag-group-g"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nGroup G Preview: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand - ZEE5 Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"FIFA 2026 Group G preview\u2014Belgium, Egypt, Iran & New Zealand battle as Salah faces De Bruyne.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zee5.com\/global\/blog\/group-g-preview-belgium-egypt-iran-and-new-zealand\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Group G Preview: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand - 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