Belgium and Egypt Advance to Round of 32 in FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers

Kathmandu. With the final matches of Group 'G' of the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers concluded, Belgium has entered the final 32 as group winners and Egypt as runners-up. Belgium defeated New Zealand 5-1, while the match between Egypt and Iran ended in a 1-1 draw.

In the match held at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada, Leandro Trossard scored two goals for Belgium in the 28th and 50th minutes. Captain Kevin De Bruyne added a goal in the 66th minute, and Romelu Lukaku scored the fourth goal in the 86th minute. In the fourth minute of injury time, Alexis Saelemaekers scored to ensure Belgium's spectacular 5-1 victory. Elijah Just scored a consolation goal for New Zealand in the 84th minute.

Meanwhile, at the Seattle Stadium in America, Egypt took the lead in the fifth minute through Mahmoud Sabir's goal. However, Iran's Ramin Rezaeian equalized in the 14th minute. In the third minute of injury time, Soja Khalilzadeh scored for Iran, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) disallowed the goal for offside. No further goals were scored, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw.

With this result, Belgium has advanced to the knockout stage as group winners and Egypt as runners-up. Iran, with 3 points, still has a chance to reach the final 32. New Zealand has been eliminated from the group stage.