Upcoming Match Schedule for New Zealand, Belgium, and Egypt in USA

The participation of Iran in the 2026 FIFA World Cup has become a subject of diplomatic and logistical uncertainty, with reports indicating that the team’s presence depends on whether their matches are relocated from the United States.

According to reports from Al Jazeera, an Iranian minister stated that the country’s participation in the tournament is contingent upon the relocation of their fixtures away from U.S. Soil.

This development comes as the tournament’s group stage schedules have already been established. Iran has been drawn into Group G, where they are slated to compete against Belgium, Egypt, and New Zealand.

Group G Schedule and Venues

The official match schedule for Group G, announced by FIFA president Gianni Infantino in Washington, DC, on December 6, 2025, places several key matches on the West Coast of North America.

The current schedule lists the opening match for Group G as Iran versus New Zealand, scheduled for June 15, 2026, at 6 PM local time. This match is set to take place at the Los Angeles Stadium, known as SoFi Stadium, which has a capacity of over 70,000 people.

Other matches in Group G are scheduled to be held at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada. These include New Zealand facing Egypt on June 21 and New Zealand facing Belgium on June 26.

The group stage for Group G is scheduled to run from June 15 to June 26, 2026. The venues allocated for the group include SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area, Lumen Field in Seattle, and BC Place in Vancouver.

Qualification and Team Standings

The teams in Group G qualified through their respective confederations via the following methods and dates:

• Belgium: Qualified as the UEFA Group J winner on November 18, 2025.
• Egypt: Qualified as the CAF Group A winner on October 8, 2025.
• Iran: Qualified as the AFC third round Group A winner on March 25, 2025.
• New Zealand: Qualified as the OFC third round winner on March 24, 2025.

Based on the FIFA rankings from November 2025 used for seeding, the teams entered the draw with varying positions: Belgium at 8th, Iran at 20th, Egypt at 34th, and New Zealand at 86th.

Tournament Progression Rules

The 2026 tournament features a 48-team format with 104 total matches. Under the current rules for Group G, the top two teams will advance to the round of 32.

There is also a possibility for the third-placed team to advance based on the overall rankings of third-place finishers across the group stage.

Specifically, the winner of Group G is scheduled to play the third-placed team from Group A, E, H, I, or J. The runner-up of Group G will face the runner-up of Group D. A third-place team from Group G, if among the eight best third-placed teams, could potentially face the winner of Group B or Group I.

FIFA has stated that the match schedule was designed to minimize travel for teams and fans and to optimize welfare conditions for players and supporters.