The verdict for the 2026 World Cup group stage has been revealed.
In Group G, Belgium will face New Zealand, Iran, and Egypt — three opponents who, on paper, appear within reach for the Red Devils.
Belgium will kick off their tournament on June 15. Until then, feel free to explore our dedicated World Cup page featuring all the latest odds to guide your sports betting.
2026 World Cup Draw: Early Reactions
Youri Tielemans, one of the leaders of this Belgian side, welcomed the draw on social media while remaining cautious: “It’s a good group for us, we’re confident. We know we have the quality, and we want to get through the group stage. It will be very difficult. We hope you’ll be there to support us. We’ll need to be at our best at the World Cup, and we’re counting on you to be with us. Vive la Belgique!”
Belgium manager Rudi Garcia was present at the draw and shared his thoughts afterwards: “An interesting draw, let’s say. Aside from Egypt, whom we know well and who are one of the best African nations, we don’t know the other two teams. We’ve never played them.” He added: “No matter the draw, our ambition would have been to finish first. It’s better to finish first, and we’ll do everything we can to achieve that.”
New Zealand manager Darren Bazeley also appeared eager to begin and face Belgium’s stars:
“I don’t know all of Belgium’s new generation, but of course I know Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Jeremy Doku… It will be a real challenge for us. We’re really looking forward to facing Belgium, one of the ten best teams in the world.”
Distances: The Major Drawback
Rudi Garcia’s men will play in three different cities: Seattle against Egypt, Los Angeles against Iran and Vancouver against New Zealand.
Belgium has been ranked among the nations most affected by long travel distances during the group stage. Thibaut Courtois and his teammates will cover over 3,285 km in just ten days, which could significantly impact the players’ performance.
2026 World Cup: Group G Odds
All odds are subject to change.
To finish top of the group:
Belgium: 1.43
Egypt: 4.00
Iran: 6.60
New Zealand: 21.00
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