Iran to play Belgium, Egypt, New Zealand in World Cup group stage
Iran has been drawn against Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand in Group G of the 2026 World Cup, which will be cohosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19 next year.
The draw for the 23rd edition of football’s flagship international event took place at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Friday, where 48 teams – six of which will be decided through the playoff paths in March – were split into 12 groups.
Making its fourth successive appearance in the finals, Iran will kick off its campaign against New Zealand on June 15, before facing Belgium – eighth in the latest FIFA Men’s Rankings – six days later.
Team Melli will hope to remain in contention for a place in the knockout phase when it takes on African powerhouse Egypt on June 26.
With eight of the third-placed teams across the 12 groups advancing to the round of 32, Iranian fans will fancy their team’s chances of securing a first-ever knockout spot at the seventh time of asking.
Belgium and Egypt are emerging from the shadow of golden generations. Rudi Garcia’s Belgium was erratic in qualification, finding the net eight times but conceding five in two wins over Wales, scoring freely at times, but also struggling to a 1-1 draw away to Kazakhstan.
Egypt is the most successful side in African history, but having failed to qualify during its golden period 15-20 years ago, the Pharaohs have never quite done themselves justice on the global stage. Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush give Egypt cutting edge, but it was a defense – which conceded only twice in 10 games – that inspired the African side’s unbeaten qualification campaign.
A guaranteed place for Oceania effectively meant a spot at the finals for New Zealand, which cruised through qualifying, winning five games out of five, scoring 29 goals, nine of them by Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood, but it is the lowest-ranked side to have secured its place in North America next summer.
Iran won Group A in the third round of the Asian qualifiers, with Team Melli’s only defeat in 10 games coming in a dead rubber away to Qatar in June.
“There is no such thing as an easy opponent in football anymore. Thank God our group is more favorable compared to the other groups, though we can’t afford to underestimate any opponent, and the team must enter the tournament in its best form,” Iran head coach Amir Qalenoei said after the draw. He added, “We have been struggling with injuries to several key players since last year’s Asian Cup, but I’m confident that with all of them available, and by integrating some younger players into the squad, we can reach the level we are aiming for.”
When asked about the team’s World Cup preparations and possible friendlies in March, Qalenoei said, “We had talks with other coaches before the draw, and now that the group situation is clear, we will continue those negotiations. Unfortunately, many teams are dealing with hectic fixture lists in the lead-up to the World Cup. We need to arrange at least four matches against high-profile opponents.”
Other groups
The opening game of the competition will see cohost Mexico play South Africa at the Azteca Stadium – the iconic venue of the 1970 and 1986 finals – in Group A, which also features South Korea and one of Denmark, North Macedonia, Czechia, or the Republic of Ireland.
The United States, meanwhile, benefited from its top seeding and will play Paraguay, Australia, and a UEFA playoff winner – one of Slovakia, Kosovo, Türkiye, or Romania – in Group D.
Canada, also a top seed despite its world ranking of 27th, faces a tougher path in Group B against a European playoff winner – possibly Italy – as well as Switzerland and Qatar.
Defending champion Argentina was drawn with Algeria, Austria, and debutant Jordan in Group J, while five-time winner Brazil will face Morocco – semifinalists in 2022 – Haiti, and Scotland in Group C.
France will open its Group I campaign against Senegal, in a repeat of one of the biggest tournament upsets, when the African side stunned the then-holders in their first match of the 2002 edition. Norway and one of Iraq, Bolivia, or Suriname complete the group.
England will start against Croatia – the team that beat the Three Lions in the 2018 semifinals – and will also face Panama, which they defeated 6-1 in the group stage of the same tournament, and Ghana in Group L.
Debutants Curacao, with a population of 150,000 making it by far the smallest country ever to reach the finals, faces Germany, Ecuador and the Ivory Coast in Group E.
World No. 1-ranked Spain has a dream draw alongside first-timer Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay in Group H.
The Netherlands are grouped with Japan, Tunisia, and a UEFA playoff winner – Ukraine, Sweden, Poland, or Albania – in Group F, while Portugal faces debutant Uzbekistan, Colombia, and one of New Caledonia, Jamaica, or DR Congo in Group K.
A newly introduced seeding system ensured that the current top four in the world – Spain, Argentina, France, and England – cannot meet until the semifinal stage if they win their groups, though plenty of potential blockbuster clashes remain along the way.