World Cup 2026 Rankings: Iran edges past Belgium to second in Group G

Iran has temporarily secured the second spot in Group G of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers following the conclusion of the first matchday. The team drew 2-2 with New Zealand in their opening fixture. Iran twice fell behind but demonstrated resilience to score equalizing goals. Elijah Just scored a brace for New Zealand, while Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi were the key players for Iran. Both teams seemed satisfied with earning one point from their debut match. Earlier, Belgium was also held to a 1-1 draw by Egypt. This means all four teams in Group G have started with one point, a scenario also seen in Groups B and H. Iran and New Zealand currently lead the group standings based on goal difference, with New Zealand ahead due to better fair-play statistics. The next round of matches on June 22 will see Belgium face Iran, and New Zealand play against Egypt. The World Cup 2026, featuring 48 teams, will take place in North America from June 12 to July 20.