World Cup 2026 Day 16: Group G Recap

It’s the penultimate day of group stage action in the 2026 World Cup, and to round the day’s action up, we have Group G with pretty much every team looking to book their place in the knockout stages. The games that would decide all of this are Egypt vs Iran and New Zealand vs Belgium. 

General view of Iran and Egypt flags on the pitch before the match

Lisi Niesner

World Cup Group G - Matchday 3

Egypt 1 - 1 Iran 

Hossam Hassan made 5 changes to the team that comfortably beat New Zealand 3-1, with Mohamed Abdelmonem, Rami Rabia, Ahmed Aboul-Fatouh, Mahmoud Saber, and Mahmoud Trezeguet all coming into the side, with Saber and Abdelmonem making their first appearance at this year’s tournament. 

Amir Ghalenoei opted to make a system change, switching from a 4-3-3 to a 5-3-2, and bringing in Mohammad Ghorbani, Milad Mohammadi, and Hossein Kanaani into the starting XI as the Iranians searched for a win and a way into the knockout stages. 

5 minutes into the game, Egypt opened the scoring with a brilliant passing move that saw the ball played into the box and saw Mo Salah’s shot inside the box initially blocked, and the ball fell to Mahmoud Saber, who slotted the ball home to give his nation an early lead. 

A few minutes later, Iran had the perfect opportunity to equalize when they were awarded a penalty after Mohamed Abdelmonem fouled an Iranian player in the box, and Mehdi Taremi stepped up to take it, but the Iranian legend missed as Mostafa Shobair saved it. 

Iran's Shoja Khalilzadeh scores a goal past Egypt's Mostafa Shoubir that was later disallowed

Matthew Childs

Iran found their equalizer just a few minutes later, though, as initially Milad Mohammadi’s shot on goal was well saved, but as the ball was about to head out for a corner, Ramin Rezaeian smashed the ball into the roof of the net from an impossible angle. 

Ramin Rezaeian had a great chance to put his nation in the lead just past the half-hour mark when a cross found him in the middle of the box, but he got underneath the ball and skied his shot over the bar. 

Iran had a solid chance near the end of the first half when a quality cross was played into the box, but Shoja Khalizadah couldn’t control his headed attempt, and it went wide of the goal. 

Iran had a great chance right out of the gates in the 2nd half, but Saeid Ezatolahi fired his effort high and wide from distance. Egypt then turned on the quality when they had 3 chances in the space of 5 minutes. 

Egypt's Trezeguet reacts with Ahmed Fatouh

Carlos Barria

Trezeguet’s shot was well saved, and then he saw a second shot blocked well. Mohanad Lasheen had a great chance with a header from a corner, but he couldn’t quite keep it on target. 

The majority of the 2nd half lacked any real quality from either side. While both teams were working the ball into good positions, the lack of quality in the final third was showing up, and many chances were wasted, especially on good balls into the box. 

Iran had the ball in the back of the net after defender Shoja Khalizadeh poked the ball home from a corner, and Iran thought they’d booked themselves into the knockout stages in 2nd place of the group, but VAR intervened and broke the hearts of every Iranian fan as they ruled the goal offside and the scoreline back to 1-1. The simulation showed he was offside by half a foot, just utterly heartbreaking for Iran. 

Moments later, Saeid Ezatolahi broke away in the box and headed towards goal, but it crashed off the crossbar and over the goal, and the referee blew his whistle for full time, sending Egypt through in 2nd place and leaving Iran with a horrible wait to see how tomorrow’s games go to see if they make it through to the knockout stages. 

New Zealand 1 - 5 Belgium 

Darren Bazeley opted to make just the two changes to his side that lost 3-1 to Egypt in their last group stage game, as Tyler Bindon came in at center back for Michael Boxall, and Ryan Thomas came in on the right wing to replace Callum McCowatt. 

General view of the Belgium and New Zealand players during the national anthems before the match

Agustin Marcarian

Rudi Garcia opted to make 5 changes to his side that drew 0-0 with Iran in their last group stage game, as Timothy Castagne, Arthur Theate, Hans Vanaken, Jeremy Doku, and Charles De Ketelaere came into the starting XI as Belgium went looking for their first win of the group stage and to avoid the embarrassment of being eliminated at this stage.      

The opening 15 minutes of the game were all Belgium, and New Zealand were holding on for their life. Tielemans had a chance just 4 minutes in, but he sent his shot wide of the post, and then the post was smashed by Leandro Trossard from his effort inside the 6-yard box. 

Defender Brandon Mechele had a great chance right after the Trossard shot, but his header from a corner was sent wide of the goal. Kevin De Bruyne’s long shot was well saved, Trossard’s shot was blocked, and then Doku’s shot was well saved by Max Crocombe. 

VAR had a look at a handball incident for a potential Belgium penalty, but the referee determined the defender’s arm was in a natural position, and so no penalty, a decision I would agree with. 

Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne celebrates scoring their third goal

SIMON FEARN

Belgium found their breakthrough right after the hydration break when a corner was horribly defended by New Zealand near their goal, and Leandro Trossard broke into the 6-yard box and rifled the ball home for the opening goal of the game. 

Kevin De Bruyne went close with a shot after playing a lovely one-two with his teammate, and the ball came back across the box to the former Manchester City man, but he leaned back as he hit it and sent it over the bar. 

Just a minute or so later, Belgium had the best chance they could have asked for to double their lead when Charles De Ketelaare was played through on goal against Max Crocombe, but his shot wasn’t quite in the corner, and Max Crocombe made a good save to keep his nation in the game.   

Belgium doubled their advantage just over 5 minutes into the second half when the ball was given to Leandro Trossard in the center of the box, and the Arsenal winger fired the ball home for his 2nd of the game. 

Belgium's Romelu Lukaku scores their fourth goal

Agustin Marcarian

Belgium had their 3rd goal of the game just 65 minutes into the game when some great work by Matias Fernandez-Pardo ended up finding Kevin De Bruyne outside the box, and he took one touch and then fired the ball into the bottom far corner for a brilliant long-distance strike. 

New Zealand came back into the game after Belgium’s 3rd goal and had a couple of half-chances to get a consolation goal in the game, and that’s just what they did 5 minutes from time when Eli Just fired a brilliant strike past Courtois in the Belgian net for his 3rd goal of the tournament and a goal that sent Belgium down to 2nd in the group. 

The time spent by Belgium in 2nd after that Eli Just goal barely got past the minute mark as Belgium went forward from the kick-off and Nicolas Raskin chipped the ball into the box, found Lukaku’s head, and he headed home Belgium’s 4th goal of the game to send them back to the top of the group as things stand.   

Max Crocombe made a brilliant save from a Maxim De Cuyper shot from just outside the box that looked destined to be heading for the top corner. Belgium grabbed a 5th goal from a brilliant Alexis Saelemaekers strike from outside the box after he received the ball from Lukaku. That goal was basically the last kick of the game, and Belgium booked their place in the knockout stages and sent New Zealand home. 

Day 16, Group G, Round-up:

That wraps it up for Group G, and what a group it has been, with all 4 teams heading into the final games with the chance of progressing through. In the end, Belgium finished top of the group with 5 points, beating 2nd-place Egypt on goal difference. Iran finished 3rd on 3 points and has a horrible wait to see if they make it through, while New Zealand finished 4th with just 1 point, but can hold their heads high for how well they performed as the lowest-ranked nation at the World Cup. 

Tomorrow brings the final round of group-stage games at the 2026 World Cup, with Groups L, K, and J in action for you. I’ll be back covering Group L, which sees England play Panama and Croatia face off with Ghana, while Group J brings Algeria vs Austria and Jordan vs Argentina, and then Group K sees Colombia and Portugal do battle, while DR Congo and Uzbekistan go head to head. 

MORE: Philly Sport's Network's World Cup Coverage