2026 World Cup Roundup: Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Belgium Held to Draws

The 2026 FIFA World Cup saw a day of draws in Group G, with Iran and New Zealand playing out a 2-2 tie, and Belgium being held to a 1-1 draw by Egypt. These results set a competitive tone for the group's early stages.

Iran's match against New Zealand was a back-and-forth affair. New Zealand took an early lead through Elijah Just, but Iran fought back, with Ramin Rezaeian equalizing before halftime. Iran thought they had taken the lead just before the break, but the goal was disallowed for offside. New Zealand regained their advantage in the second half with another goal from Just, only for Mohammad Mohebi to secure a point for Iran with a late equalizer. The match ended 2-2, with both teams earning one point.

In the other Group G fixture, Belgium also faced a challenging start. Egypt opened the scoring with Emam Ashour, capitalizing on a chance created by Mohamed Salah. Belgium dominated possession and eventually found an equalizer in the second half when Egypt's Mohamed Hany scored an own goal while attempting to clear a cross from Thomas Meunier. Despite continued pressure from Belgium, they could not find a winning goal, and the match concluded 1-1. These opening draws mean both Iran and Belgium will be looking to secure crucial wins in their upcoming fixtures.