Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, we go through every group in the expanded 48-country field and examine the teams, highlight the most recent odds, and make predictions.
Group G is headlined by Belgium, which isn’t the power it was just a few years ago but is still rightfully the heavy favorite. Egypt and Iran are evenly matched, and both could find a way to the next stage. New Zealand would do well to avoid three big losses.
Belgium enters the 2026 World Cup at the start of a new era, instead of trying to squeeze everything out of its golden generation. That led to its embarrassing group stage exit in Qatar. Kevin De Bruyne is still central to Belgium’s team, Thibaut Courtois is back between the sticks, and Romelu Lukaku could still start. But Belgium now also revolves around great young talent.
Man City’s Jérémy Doku is the headliner, with his pace and skill a nightmare for opponents. Charles De Ketelaere will push Lukaku to lead the front line if the veteran isn’t fully fit. And 21-year-old winger Malick Fofana could be the x-factor off the bench. Belgium is no longer considered a force on the international stage, as shown by its long odds to win at the best World Cup betting sites. But a deep run to build upon for the next major tournaments would be a great result.
| To Win Group | To Qualify For RO32 | To Win World Cup |
| -285 | -10000 | +3300 |
Despite three previous World Cup appearances, Egypt has yet to win a game at the tournament. But the expectation entering this year’s event will be not only to end that unwanted record but also to advance to the next stage. Pushing Belgium to the group lead is a tall task, but Egypt is the favorite to come second for a reason. Hossam Hassan’s team is coming off an AFCON semi-final appearance and was undefeated in World Cup qualifying.
As always, Egypt’s chances revolve around Mo Salah. The team’s talisman is 33 years old, but he led the team in goals (9) and assists (3) during qualifying. He won’t have to do it all alone, though. Man City’s Omar Marmoush will provide a secondary threat up front. Egypt will do it can to soak up pressure and hit back at opponents, hoping its top duo can produce enough magic.
| To Win Group | To Qualify For RO32 | To Win World Cup |
| +450 | -300 | 25000 |
Despite questions about its participation due to the ongoing conflict, Iran will be playing in its fourth straight World Cup. They were clinical during the qualification process, winning 11 of 16 games. However, the team will be without one of its key players, Sardar Azmoun, who was seemingly left out of the squad for political reasons. For a squad already lacking in creativity, it’s a big loss.
Iran will now rely even more heavily on striker Mehdi Taremi. The Olympiacos standout scored 10 times and recorded 7 assists to power the team through the qualifiers. Also under more pressure to step up due to Azmou’s absence will be Saman Ghoddos, who Premier League fans will know from his time with Brentford. Iran enters the World Cup with one of the oldest rosters, and whether they can keep up in the condensed format remains to be seen. Still, a genuine fight with Egypt for second is a fair goal.
| To Win Group | To Qualify For RO32 | To Win World Cup |
| +550 | -220 | +50000 |
New Zealand made easy work of its qualifying, thanks in part to Oceania getting its own automatic spot under the World Cup’s expanded format. But New Zealand’s dominance was still impressive: five wins, 29 goals scored, and one goal conceded. But as the lowest-ranked teams at the tournament, New Zealand is set to struggle to make an impact on a solidly competitive group.
All-time leading scorer Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest continues to be the team’s most important player at 34 years old. But he’s coming off a knee injury that robbed him of most of the season. Can anyone step up and back Wood up if he’s not at 100% is the major question. Losses in seven of its eight friendlies between June and November of last year say no.
| To Win Group | To Qualify For RO32 | To Win World Cup |
| +2000 | +120 | +100000 |
We don’t see a deep tournament run for Belgium, but they still have more than enough to easily take Group G. Belgium has a nice blend of experience and youth that should earn them at least 7 points.
Our shock in Group G comes after Belgium, with Iran beating out Egypt for the second spot and the African team not doing enough to earn a third-place qualification spot. Iran might not be at full strength with Azmoun left at home, but they have lots of experience and were impressive during qualifying. Missing out on the next stage is a big blow for Egypt, with an overreliance on Salah a major reason why.
Odds are courtesy of BetMGM and accurate at the time of writing.
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