Groups G, H and I feature a mix of World Cup newcomers and tournament favorites. Cabo Verde will make its debut, while France and Spain enter the tournament among the leading contenders to lift the trophy. With several competitive teams in each group, the battle for the top two spots could be one of the most intriguing storylines of the group stage.
Group G: Belgium, Egypt, Iran, New Zealand
Belgium enter the tournament as the favorites to win the group. Made up of mostly veterans — Axel Witsel, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Youri Tielemans — they have both the experience and skill to comfortably make it out of the group, if not top the group.
Egypt holds most of their strength on offense, led by Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush and Liverpool’s Mohamed “Mo” Salah. Given their opponents in the group, Egypt appear to be the leading contender for second place and a berth in the Round of 32.
Iran, as Dean Jones from the Athletic explained, has endured a difficult start to its World Cup preparations, including a four-hour flight delay while traveling to its team base in Tijuana, Mexico. They have a competitive squad led by their main man Mehdi Taremi and depending on how their matchup with New Zealand ends, they could have a chance of qualifying by finishing the group in third place.
New Zealand have only qualified for three World Cups, including this one, and have struggled for form recently, having lost their last four matches ,including a 0-4 loss to Haiti. I think they will be competitive in the group, but it will all come down to how they fare against Iran.
Group H: Spain, Cabo Verde, Saudi Arabia, Uruguay
Spain is one of the favorites to win the World Cup and has one of the younger squads in the tournament with a median age of about 26. Although Spain is one of the tournament’s strongest teams, its relatively young roster could face challenges if complacency becomes a factor.
Uruguay has a highly competitive team with star players in every position such as defender Ronald Araújo, midfielder and co-captain Federico Valverde, and striker Darwin Núñez. I think given their experience and class, they could surprise Spain and finish atop the group if they can earn a positive result against Spain.
Saudi Arabia, although having less experience than Spain and Uruguay, have a competitive side and produced one of the biggest upsets of the 2022 World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Argentina. I think they have a good chance at advancing as a third-place team.
Cabo Verde will be making its World Cup debut in this edition. They enter the tournament with a strong squad, having not lost a World Cup qualifying match since June 2024. However, I do think that they will end the group in fourth place and be eliminated in the group stage.
Group I: France, Senegal, Iraq, Norway
France is the overall favorite to win the group and another of the favorites to win the World Cup. With world class players like Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, Bayern München winger Michael Olise, and captain Kylian Mbappé, anything short of a first place finish in the group would be a surprise.
The battle between Senegal and Norway could determine who joins France in the knockout stage. Senegal has been in great form lately, having won five of their last seven matches. Norway has only lost four matches since November 2023. I think the matchup between these two teams will decide who advances out of the group in second and who will take the chance of qualifying as a third-placed team.
Iraq will be making its first World Cup appearance since 1986. Although they possess a strong team, I think they will finish in fourth place and be eliminated in the group stage.
As always, stay tuned to Futbolhijo.com for in-depth coverage of the biggest World Cup yet. Check back for my next article, where I will break down Groups J, K, and L. You can also read my previous analysis of Groups D, E, and F.
Cover Photo: Kylian Mbappé – Shutterstock – user: Romain Biard – ID: 1669991473
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