World Cup Previews: Group G
Amazingly, we’ve managed to make it all the way down to Group G in a World Cup hosted primarily in the United States before I’ve hit an absolute political minefield. For the sake of this preview, I’m going to take it at face value that Iran will be participating in the World Cup, but I can’t discount the obvious extenuating factors when considering how they might perform. Away from circus surrounding the Iranian team, Group G is home to perennial dark horses Belgium, who seem to have missed their chance, an Egypt side captained my their all-time greatest player facing what will most likely be his final World Cup, and plucky little New Zealand at their third ever World Cup finals. It has a little bit of everything, except maybe a truly solid team! Time to get stuck in to Group G!
Belgium
Qualifying
The Belgian golden generation of the 2010s is long behind us now, with just the remnants of a 34 year-old Kevin De Bruyne’s hamstrings and 1 goal this season Romelu Lukaku to show for it. Courtois is still going strong, of course, but Father Time will even catch up to that robot eventually. For a while Belgium had one of the top players in he world in virtually every position, and looked like they might even win a World Cup, or at least a Euros, at any point over the last 10 years. Alas, it wasn’t to be, and while this Belgium squad isn’t as strong as it’s predecessors at face value, there’s still a lot to like and a big chance for them to advance deep into the competition once again.
Belgium were another side that went unbeaten in qualifying, but it wasn’t as comfortable as it could have been. Draws home and away against North Macedonia, as well as a draw in Kazakhstan, left the door open for Wales to leapfrog them, but Craig Bellamy’s side failed to take advantage. Ultimately, the late Kevin De Bruyne winning in Brussels to see the Welsh off 4-3 was the decider that has seen Belgium reach finals and Wales crash out. It doesn’t matter how you get there, as long as you can perform on the big stage.
One To Watch
Jérémy Doku has been threatening to take the world by storm for some years now, and his talents seem to have finally come to fruition this season. The tricky winger has made himself an integral part of the Manchester City side that only won two trophies this season, scoring some absolute belters along the way. He’s lightning fast, incredible with the ball at his feet, and a surprisingly good passer of the ball too. Now he’s finally sprinkled in the ability to finish his chances, Doku looks the real deal.
In the absence of Eden Hazard, Doku is Belgium’s “pass it to him and let him run with it” guy out on the left, and the role suits him. He’s and incredibly flexible player too, he enjoys being part of dominant displays where he can use his close-up dribbling to break through low lying defences and punish the opposition, and he is equally as threatening using his red-hot pace to rip teams to shreds on the counter. He also doesn’t mind bending one in from 30 yards, which helps.
The golden generation have been melted down for scrap and the new era of Belgian football is rising from the ashes. They have young talent poking through in every position, and Jérémy Doku is the face of the new generation. This World Cup is his to claim.
Egypt
Qualifying
Another unbeaten side in qualifying, Egypt won 8 from their 10 games and only conceded twice on their way to securing a place at the World Cup finals for only the second time since Italia 90. This looks set to be the last World Cup that Mohammed Salah will be a part of for the Egyptians, so they’ll be keen to give him a proper send off in a group that looks fairly winnable. If they don’t at least make it to the next round, it’ll be a disaster.
Despite his well-documented trials and tribulations for his club this year, Salah still stepped up with 9 goals in qualifying to steer Egypt to North America, and he will absolutely be leading their frontline in this tournament. He also led Egypt to a semi final appearance in this year’s AFCON, losing to eventual winners (I think?) Senegal. They’ve shown promise, drawing with Spain and narrowly losing to Brazil in recently friendlies, and the stage is set for Egypt to to make a knockout World Cup fixture for the first time since 1934, when there was no group stage to be eliminated in.
One To Watch
Mohammed Salah is obviously expected to be the main man, but one player who really needs a good tournament is Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush.
Marmoush enjoyed an electric start to life in Manchester after his big move from Eintracht Frankfurt in January of 2025, but has found opportunities hard to come by in Blue this season. When they have come, he’s been average at best, and he’s now being linked with a move away from the Citizens just 18 months after signing.
Luckily for him, Erling Haaland isn’t Egyptian. Marmoush is practically guaranteed a start in every game for his nation, and could gain his confidence and form back now he’s been freed from the shackles of expectation that come with being a Manchester City forward. He’s either playing for his place in the City team under their new maniacal, fiercely intense, and very bald manager, or he’s playing for a move to as good a side as will take him. Either way, Marmoush is a man with a lot to prove playing in a team with a lot to prove. It’s an important summer for Omar, will he make the most of it?
Iran
Qualifying
Iran swept through the first stage of qualifying in Asia unbeaten, drawing home and away against Uzbekistan and comfortably taking 6 points each from Hong Kong and Turkmenistan. They had to face the Uzbek team in the second phase, again drawing on both occasions as both battled it out for top spot. A loss to Qatar in Doha threw a small spanner in the works, but winning their remaining 7 games ensured they finished top of the group and advanced to the World Cup.
Things have taken a notable turn for the Iran side in the lead up to the World Cup, as I’m sure you’ll be aware. Due to the ongoing war between Iran and the USA, and the generally terrible organisation of this World Cup as a whole, there have been some complications surrounding Iran’s participation. As it stands, they’re still playing in the tournament, albeit they have to set up base and train in Mexico and only travel to the US to fulfil their fixtures. The whole situation is an affront to the game and to the fairness of the World Cup. What could have been a display of unity and peace and proof of how football can bring everyone together in times of crisis has now devolved into a geopolitical points scoring exercise that, as usual, true football fans are ultimately the losers of. The bets possible outcome is, of course, that Iran meet the USA in the knockouts and beat them. If only.
One To Watch
This Iranian team isn’t teeming with household names, at least not here. Only four of the squad ply their trade outside of Iran or the UAE, with two turning out for Belgian sides and one for Rostov in Russia. The final of the four is the main man Mehdi Taremi, who currently plays up top for Olympiacos after a brief spell with Inter and a long, successful stint with Porto.
The big man is a natural born goalscorer, and has been the heartbeat of this Iran side for more than a decade. He’s his country’s second all-time top scorer behind the legendary Ali Daei, and put up an impressive 10 goals and 7 assists in qualifying at the ripe old age of 33. He’s still got it.
Even less mobile that usual in his advancing years, Taremi’s game is all about hard work and instinct. He wins his duels, and finishes with the lethal efficiency that only a proper experienced number nine can. Don’t expect to see him running the length of the pitch to track back, or triggering a suffocating press on opposite defenders. But do expect to see him wheeling away in celebration as he stabs home the winner. Right place, right time.
New Zealand
Qualifying
New Zealand are the lowest ranked team that have qualified for the tournament, currently finding themselves 85th in the world behind Syria and just above Gabon. Footballing royalty. Luckily for them, they have the fortune of being the only side at the tournament that qualify through Oceania, so they have some interesting opposition to face to say the least.
They came out victorious after stern tests against Tahiti, Vanuatu, and Samoa, before entering the dreaded play-offs. Fiji in the semi finals was a difficult one, but they just squeaked past with a 7-0 win to set up a dramatic final matchup with New Caledonia. Chris Wood led his boys out into the cauldron and ran out 3-0 winners, securing New Zealand’s World Cup return after last featuring in 2010, where they famously went unbeaten. I don’t think they’ll have to worry about that this year.
One To Watch
If the difference in standard wasn’t clear enough, New Zealand have called up players from Braintree Town, Port Vale, and even Nottingham Forest. It’s bottom of the barrel stuff.
With Chris Wood ageing like milk, and no understudy in sight, it’s looking fairly bleak for the future of football in New Zealand. If they’re going to pin their hopes anywhere, 23 year-old winger Jesse Randall would be a good place to start.
The Auckland FC forward has enjoyed a fruitful season, scoring 9 and assisting 6 on his way to helping his side win the A-League. He’s far from perfect, but he has some semblance of quality, and that’s about as good as it gets for New Zealand at the moment. He’s a fantastic finisher, good at creating chances, and has plenty of confidence going forwards. He lacks any real physicality and his defensive contributions are essentially nil, but he’s a young forward with a fairly high ceiling amongst an ageing squad, so he might just shine out as a diamond in the rough.
Prediction
1. Belgium
2. Egypt
3. Iran
4. New Zealand
New Zealand are likely to finish on 0 points and, to be honest, that’s about as good as you can expect. Qualification is fantastic for them and will hopefully go a long way to increasing the profile of the game over there, but this is the end of the line for now.
Belgium’s superior quality will help them top the table in a fairly comfortable manner. I don’t think anyone in this group will give them a lot of trouble, but I also can’t see them advancing very far in the knockouts when they get there.
I don’t think there’s too much to split Egypt and Iran, but with the star power of Egypt’s frontline and the off-field turmoil for Iran, I’ve gone with the Egyptians taking second place with Iran having to hope they can beat New Zealand by a handy enough margin to place them as one of the best third placed teams.