Belgium secured first place in Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 5-1 victory over New Zealand, while Egypt booked a historic place in the knockout stage after a 1-1 draw against Iran, whose stoppage-time winner was ruled out by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
The final round of group-stage matches produced high drama, particularly in Seattle, where Iran came within moments of securing a famous victory before VAR intervened to disallow a late goal for offside.
Belgium Seal Top Spot with Dominant Victory
Belgium delivered their most convincing performance of the tournament by defeating New Zealand 5-1 in Vancouver.
After opening their campaign with consecutive draws against Egypt and Iran, the Belgian side found top form in their final group match, with captain Kevin De Bruyne orchestrating the attack throughout the contest.
Leandro Trossard scored twice, while De Bruyne added a goal of his own after playing a key role in Belgium’s attacking moves. Substitute Romelu Lukaku also found the net after coming off the bench, becoming the first Belgian player alongside De Bruyne to score in three different FIFA World Cups. Alexis Saelemaekers completed the scoring in stoppage time.
Belgium finished the group stage with five points, the same as Egypt, but claimed first place thanks to a superior goal difference of +4 compared to Egypt’s +2.
Following the victory, Belgium advanced to the Round of 32, where they will face one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
Egypt Advance to Knockout Stage for the First Time
Egypt also finished the group unbeaten after drawing 1-1 with Iran, securing qualification for the knockout rounds for the first time in the nation’s FIFA World Cup history.
Knowing that victory would have secured top spot in the group, Egypt instead had to settle for second place after Belgium’s emphatic win.
The Pharaohs will now travel to Arlington, Texas, where they are scheduled to face Australia in the Round of 32 on July 3.
Head coach Hossam Hassan praised his players for executing the game plan under difficult circumstances and described qualification as a significant achievement for Egyptian football.
VAR Denies Iran at the Death
The most dramatic moments of the evening came in the closing stages of Egypt’s match against Iran.
With the score tied 1-1 deep into stoppage time, defender Shoja Khalilzadeh appeared to have scored the winning goal that would have dramatically changed the group standings.
However, after a VAR review, the goal was ruled out for offside, leaving Iranian players and supporters heartbroken.
Moments later, Iran struck the crossbar in another dangerous attack but could not find the decisive goal before the final whistle.
The draw left Iran in third place in Group G with three points. Despite missing automatic qualification, they remain in contention for a place in the Round of 32 as one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams.
Mohamed Salah Inspires Egypt to Historic First World Cup Victory with 3-1 Win Over New Zealand
Entertaining Contest in Seattle
The match between Egypt and Iran began at a frantic pace.
Mahmoud Saber gave Egypt an early lead in the fifth minute after capitalising on a loose ball inside the penalty area.
Iran responded quickly. Mehdi Taremi won a penalty in the 11th minute, but Egyptian goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy produced an excellent save. The rebound eventually fell to Ramin Rezaeian, who converted to level the score.
Both teams created several opportunities throughout the remainder of the match, but strong defending and impressive goalkeeping kept the score level before the late VAR drama unfolded.
Salah Substituted as Precaution
Egypt captain Mohamed Salah started the match but was substituted in the 57th minute after appearing to receive treatment for a leg problem.
Coach Hossam Hassan later played down concerns over the Liverpool forward’s fitness, expressing confidence that Salah would recover in time for Egypt’s Round of 32 clash against Australia.
His availability will be a major boost as Egypt prepares for its first-ever appearance in the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup.
Group G Final Standings
The final standings in Group G were:
- Belgium – 5 points (Qualified as group winners)
- Egypt – 5 points (Qualified as runners-up)
- Iran – 3 points (Awaiting possible qualification as one of the best third-placed teams)
- New Zealand – 1 point (Eliminated)
While Belgium celebrated a dominant victory and Egypt marked a historic milestone with qualification, Iran were left wondering what might have been after VAR denied them a potentially tournament-changing goal in the closing moments of their final group-stage match.
