No one can say the final matches of Group G at the 2026 World Cup.
In the span of 30 minutes, Belgium, Egypt and Iran jostled for position in Vancouver and Seattle. At one point, Egypt was the group winner. Then Belgium. Then Egypt again. Then Belgium again. The Belgians, previously one of the tournament’s most disappointing teams after two draws, finally won the group on a goal by their all-time leading goal scorer, Romelu Lukaku.
That wasn’t the end of the drama, though. Iran appeared to break a 1-1 tie in stoppage time, which would have moved them into second place and guaranteed advancement to the knockout rounds. Then VAR entered the chat and ruled Iran was offside, sending Iran to third-place purgatory.
The margin was a hand and half a foot.
https://x.com/YahooSports/status/2070737644259049788?s=20
Belgium suddenly looks like the team we expected, while Iran will spend the next 24 hours sweating things out.
Group G winner: Belgium
Matchup: Belgium vs. Group A/E/H/I/J third place team
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Date: Wednesday, July 1
Location: Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
Group G runner-up: Egypt
Matchup: Egypt vs. Australia
Time: 2 p.m. ET
Friday, July 3
Location: AT&T Stadium, Dallas, Texas
Heartbreak aside, Iran seems to be in decent shape. They now sit sixth in the third place standings, with Croatia and Algeria both able to pass them with a win or tie and DR Congo only overtaking them with a win.
All three of those things would have to happen to knock Iran down to ninth place. It’s unlikely, but it’s going to be a long Saturday for them.
Group G has felt like anyone’s game since the first matchday, when both Belgium-Egypt and Iran-New Zealand ended in draws. Though Egypt’s win over New Zealand in the second game helped the Pharaohs pull away from the rest of the pack, Group G entered Friday with an incredibly tight table, with the standings able to shake out in several different ways.
That kind of uncertainty among a quartet of relatively middling teams isn’t a great sign for anyone involved making a deep run. Belgium had played particularly below expectations, scoring just one goal before Friday’s five-goal outing against New Zealand. Egypt, though, makes history just by advancing, after failing to do so in any of their previous four World Cup appearances.
Belgium certainly looked better on Friday, but they are still only +4000 for the title, tied with Mexico for the 11th-best odds in the field. They at least have momentum on their side as the knockout stage begins.
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