World Cup 2026: Belgium and Egypt national teams advance to knockout stage

Belgium's national team crushed New Zealand in a third-round match of the 2026 World Cup and won their group, advancing to the Round of 32 in the tournament's knockout stage.

Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in the match in the 28th minute, and in the 50th minute the Belgian completed a brace, followed by goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Saelemaekers.

Elijah Just scored for New Zealand.

In the other Group G match, the national teams of Egypt and Iran faced each other. The game was held at Lumen Field stadium in Seattle (USA). Szymon Marciniak from Poland served as the head referee. The match ended in a 1:1 draw. Mahmoud Saber scored for the Egyptians (5th minute). Ramin Rezaeian scored for the Iranians (14th minute).

Egypt's national team is participating in the World Cup for the fourth time. In 1934, the team lost in the Round of 16 to Hungary (2:4), although at that time the tournament was held without a group stage. In 1990 and 2018, the Egyptians drew twice and suffered four defeats during the group stages and were unable to advance to the knockout rounds.

In the Group G standings, Egypt's national team finished in second place with five points. The Egyptians finished behind Belgium due to an inferior goal difference. Iran placed third with three points and still have a chance of advancing to the Round of 32.

The World Cup is being held in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The tournament, which for the first time features 48 teams, will conclude on July 19. The top two teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams advance to the knockout stage. The reigning champions are Argentina's national team.