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2026 World Cup Soccer Group G Odds and Expert Betting Predictions

by Spencer Toth - 5/23/2026

World Cup Soccer Group G predictions Romelu Lukaku Belgium

The expanded World Cup format has injected new life into the tournament and will have a massive impact on how the group stage plays out. Group G features Belgium as the frontrunners, but all three of Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand will fancy their chances at reaching the knockout stages. Belgium has been knocking on the door for the last decade, and despite the fact their ‘Golden Generation’ has now retired, they are still among the football powerhouses. Meanwhile, Iran and Egypt are both dangerous squads who will be hoping they have enough to claim second behind the Belgians. For New Zealand, a single victory could be enough to punch their ticket to the knockout round. The stage has been set, so let’s dive into the breakdown and best bets for an intriguing Group G.

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Odds to Win Group G:
Belgium: -250

Egypt: +450

Iran: +600

New Zealand: +2000

Odds to Advance: 

Belgium: -3300

Egypt: -275

Iran: -200

New Zealand: +140

Belgium:
Belgium was bounced from the group stage in Qatar just four years after finishing third in the 2018 World Cup. It signalled the end of a legendary era of Belgian football, as the likes of Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, and Dries Mertens all hung up their boots. While all good things have to eventually come to an end, Belgium now has an incredible combination of aging veterans and rising stars to bring with them to North America for 2026. Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku will look to find success up front, while the ever-reliable Thibaut Courtois is between the sticks. Rising stars like the mesmerizing Jeremy Doku of Manchester City will look to make an impact, and it is hard to overlook both the top-end talent and depth this squad has. The Belgian side fell short in 2024, but the one bright spot is that the two teams that advanced from their group, Morocco and Croatia, both went on deep tournament runs. This year, Belgium has no real threats with them in Group G, meaning anything less than 7, or even 9 points, would be seen as a huge disappointment for Belgium. 

Egypt:
Egypt missed out on Qatar in 2022 and hasn’t made it out of the group stage in either of its two previous World Cup appearances. They were held without a point in 2018, with their only other appearance coming back in 1990. Mohamed Salah is still the talisman for Egypt and will feel plenty of pressure to perform this summer. His Liverpool days have come to an end, and how Salah and Egypt fare could determine his career trajectory before he eventually retires. Joining Salah is a rising star, Omar Marmoush. Marmoush is the best teammate Salah has had at the national level, and will give the all-time great someone to work with up front. The Egyptian defense is still a disaster, but there is no doubt that Egypt has the two best players in the group outside of Belgium. Salah and Marmoush are both capable of pulling off the big moments to change matches, and will need to deliver when it matters most in this tournament. Since it will only take at most four points to advance, they will have a great shot at making the knockout stages if they take care of business against Iran and New Zealand. 

Iran:
There is still no guarantee Iran will participate in the World Cup, but it is looking increasingly likely that they will end up making the trip across the ocean to do so. Off-field tensions between Iran and the United States have taken over headlines heading into this World Cup, but this tournament mainstay could still make waves on the pitch. Iran has qualified for five of the last seven tournaments, including three straight, but has yet to make it out of the group stage. They haven’t played bad football with a 2-1-3 record across the last two tournaments, but it hasn’t quite been enough. Mehdi Taremi has bounced around the top European leagues throughout his career and will be captaining the side at the World Cup. Iran has plenty of stars that dominate the Asian leagues, but they haven’t been able to break through into mainstream soccer. However, they were clinical in front of goal in qualifying with more than two goals per game, and will be looking to bring that form with them in Group G.

New Zealand:
New Zealand will participate in its third World Cup, and is still searching for its first win in the tournament. They went undefeated the last time they qualified, back in 2010, but three draws weren’t enough to make the knockout round. They went a perfect 5-0 in qualification with 29 goals scored and one conceded to secure a spot in Group G. New Zealand doesn’t have too many big names in the squad, but they are led by prolific Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood. Wood is the perfect player for New Zealand to deploy up front, as his wide frame makes him an excellent target man, and he is clinical in the attacking third. They won’t have much of the ball and will be doing plenty of defending, but we have seen this squad be resilient before, and it will not be an easy three points for anyone this year. 

Best Bets:
Belgium is a worthy favorite in this group, and while a -250 future isn’t great ROI, they are still a solid pick to win the group straight up or in a World Cup parlay. They open up the tournament against Egypt, and will instantly send a message that they will not be making the same mistakes they did in 2022. Once they get those three points, the group is all but secured.
For the second pick, we are going to get creative with how to unlock the Iran vs Egypt matchup. While New Zealand could surprise, it looks as though they will be fourth in this group with Iran and Egypt both needing three points against the Kiwis. I am not a fan of -275 odds on Egypt or -200 odds on Iran to qualify, but I do like Iran to pip Egypt for second in the group. Whether that be with a win or a tiebreaker on goal difference after a draw, the value is there for Iran to come second. Iran has +210 odds to finish in second, or we can take Iran and Belgium to both finish in the top two at +175. There is always a chance Iran tops Belgium for the group win, but that feels incredibly unlikely given the scheduling and how Belgium has looked in qualification. Keep it simple in Group G, and take Iran to finish second at +210 odds for the value play of the group stage. 

Top Pick: Belgium to Win Group G -250

Pick: Iran to Finish Second in Group G +210

Predicted Group G Table:
Belgium 9 Points

Iran 6 Points

Egypt 3 Points

New Zealand 0 Points

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