FIFA World Cup 2026 - Group G Trivia Quiz

Answer: Emam Ashour

Emam Ashour scored after 19 minutes to give the Egyptians a surprise lead. Romelu Lukaku looked to have equalised in the 66th minute, but replays showed the goal came off the foot of Egyptian defender Mohamed Hany. The game finished at 1-1. This was the start of Belgium's fifteenth World Cup Finals tournament - no other European country has qualified so many times without winning the competition.

Answer: Iran (Ali Nemati)

These two countries were considered by most pundits to be the lightweights in Group G. Added to that there was the 'distraction' (for want of a stronger word) of Iran's and the host country's recent/ongoing military and diplomatic disagreements/negotiations. This author is as passionate as the next person about not mixing politics and sport, but the events of the months prior to the tournament must surely have been lurking in the back of the Iranians' minds.

Ali Nemati was the Iranian caught offside after he 'broke early' from NZ's defensive line to score with an excellent header. He broke VERY early and was 1 to 2 metres off when the free-kick was floated over. To quote the commentator: "He was in another postcode". Elijah Just became the first New Zealand player to score more than once in a World Cup finals match. The match itself finished 2-2.

Answer: 0-0

Belgium dominated the first 25 minutes, without really threatening the Iran goalkeeper. Just after that, Iran received a free kick just outside the area in the middle of the ground. Ehsan Hajisafi played a cheeky pass through the wall to Mehdi Taremi, who controlled, swivelled and shot it home. After a VAR intervention, he was ruled to be offside. 0-0 at the hydration break. Frankly, to be fair to Belgium, they dominated the entire half except for the one moment with the 'goal that wasn't'. It was 0-0 at half time.

The second half started much the same as the first had ended. However, in the 53rd minute, the ball fell kindly to Taremi, but his first time volley was hit straight at Thibaut Courtois. In the 59th minute, Kevin de Bruyne expertly brought down a lofted pass from Leandro Trossard, cut the ball across and the ball fell to Maxim de Cuyper whose shot was blocked by Iran's keeper Alireza Beiranvand in a fantastic reflex save. In the 66th minute things soured for Belgium. Nathan Ngoy under hit his backpass and impeded Mehdi Taremi in his attempt to recover the situation. Taremi went down with the minimal contact, and the referee was left with no choice but to brandish the red card. Would this change the flow of the game? Would Iran take advantage of the extra player and spend more time on the attack?

Iran certainly had more possession following the send off, Clear cut chances remained rare though, and the stalemate could not be broken. 0-0 at full time. This left both countries on two points after as many matches. They would both now nervously await the outcome of the group's later game between Egypt and New Zealand.

The red card to Ngoy was the 8th at this World Cup finals. The number of eight equals the combined total of red cards handed out in the Russia 2108 and Qatar 2022 tournaments. Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois equalled Enzo Scifo's record of 17 World Cup Finals appearances.

Answer: Ben Surman (New Zealand)

In the 7th minute, Sarpeet Singh volleyed wide for New Zealand. After 13 minutes, Elijah Just had a rasping shot turned around the post by Egypt's Mostafa Shobeir. From the resulting corner, an inswinger, Ben Surman headed powerfully home from the edge of the goal box. 1-0 to New Zealand as the stadium's loudspeakers blared 'Slice of Heaven' by Dave Dobbyn, the relevance of which only Kiwi and Aussie fans would appreciate/understand. The Kiwis did the majority of the attacking in the first 25 minutes. Salah placed a tame free kick wide of the goal. Emam Ashour sliced his shot wide just before the end of the half. 1-0 to the All Whites at half time.

Straight after half time, Salah had a half chance which Kiwi keeper Max Crocombe scrambled to keep out. A long range free kick from Marmoush was hit wide a minute later. In the 52nd minute, Callum McCowatt's flick header was smartly tipped over by Shobeir. In the 55th minute, Egypt's Zizo had a shot blocked by Surman. In the 58th minute, Mostafa Ziko got on the end of a cross and sent a bullet header past Crocombe. Score now 1-1.

In the 67th minute, Mo Salah put Egypt ahead when he shot across the keeper after a deft backheel by Ziko. 2-1 to Egypt. In the 82nd minute, Egypt went further ahead when a diving header from Trezeguet scored. 3-1 to Egypt. This result gained Egypt their first ever win in a World Cup finals match and, more importantly, sent them to the top of the group. The Kiwis remained winless in World Cup finals matches.

Answer: 1-1

In the 5th minute of the match Mo Salah's shot from near the penalty spot was blocked but Mahmoud Saber's shot went in between the keeper Alireza Beiranvand's legs. 1-0 to Egypt. In the 9th minute Iran was awarded a penalty kick when Mehdi Taremi was fouled by Mohamed Abdelmoniem. Well, if that was a penalty the game really is going soft, it would be nice if the VAR had taken into consideration that Taremi was already falling when the most minimal of contact was made. Anyway, such is life. Taremi took the spot kick low to his right, and it was saved by the keeper Mostafa Shoubir. Perhaps justice was done?

In the 14th minute Milad Mohammadi found himself in space in the area, turned and shot only for Shoubir to pull off a fine diving save. However, rather than parry the ball behind, it ran along parallel to the goal line and Ramin Rezaeian scored brilliantly from an acute angle, lifting his shot over the recovering Mostafa Shobeir. Score was 1-1. In the 21st minute, Mohamed Hany's shot from long range was deflected over the bar by Saeid Ezatolahi. In the 30th minute Trezeguet tried a shot from outside the area but it was straight at Iran's keeper Alireza Beiranvand. In the 34th minute, the ball fell to Rezaeian in the area but he blasted his shot over.

In the 1st minute of stoppage time (45+1), Shoja Khalilzadeh got on the end of a great cross from Ali Nemati but his header went wide with Shoubir in no man's land. Half time, score was 1-1. In the 46th minute, Ezatolahi hit his shot over the top. In the 49th minute, Salah crossed to Trezeguet, but his first time shot was saved. In the 52nd minute Salah again passed to Trezeguet but this time his shot was blocked. From the corner two Egyptians attackers got in the way of each other and the chance was gone. In the 62nd minute, Mustafa Zizo's shot for Egypt was deflected over. In the 64th minute an Egyptian free kick which looked to be sailing out over the goal line was hooked back in time by Mohanad Lashin, but the defence cleared it.

In the 68th minute Egypt's Omar Marmoush made space for a shot by cutting inside, but his attempted curler has deflected away. In the 84th minute Iran lost the ball near their penalty area and Lashin's shot went harmlessly wide. In the 88th minute Iran won a corner. From the corner Taremi's header hit the crossbar. Then came the real drama: in the 5th minute of stoppage time, a free kick for Iran led to a goalmouth scramble, eventually the ball was lashed home by Khalilzadeh. 2-1 to Iran, and this scoreline would guarantee them at least a spot in the Round of 32. But the VAR were checking the goal...

No goal - the goalscorer had half of his foot in front of the second last defender at the time when a teammate took a shot before it rebounded to him. A correct decision, but so heartbreaking for Iran. But such a relief for Egypt. Score remains at 1-1. After the allotted minimum stoppage time had expired, play went on as additional time was being played in respect of the stoppage for the VAR check. During this time, Iran attacked again. The ball was pumped into the area, an attacker had a shot blocked, the ball fell to Rezaeian in a better position, but his blasted effort was blocked by Yasser Ibrahim. From the resulting corner, the ball was crossed in by Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Ezatolahi's header hit the crossbar and bounced over. So close, so many times. Full time score was 1-1.

As a result of this draw, Egypt finished second and along with Belgium, who defeated New Zealand and topped the group on goal difference, they progressed to the Round of 32. Iran had to wait to see if they were one of the eight-best third-placed teams. New Zealand was eliminated.
This match was the first competitive meeting between the two countries.

Answer: 6

In the 4th minute Belgium's Youri Tielemans shot wide from the edge of the area. In the 11th minute Kevin De Bruyne's low ball across the goal was cleared by Kiwi defender Liberato Cacace. When the ball was recycled, Leandro Trossard shot across the keeper, his attempt hit the inside of the post and was cleared by Tyler Bindon on the goal line. One minute later Kiwi keeper Max Crocombe punched away a cross. In the 13th minute De Bruyne's shot forced a good save from Crocombe. To say that it was all Belgium at this stage would be an understatement. The commentator described it as an onslaught. In the 16th minute Jeremy Doku hit a tame show straight at Crocombe. In the 17th minute, a Belgian cross was turned behind by Bindon.

In the 19th minute, Trossard cut back inside and his shot was deflected over the bar by Finn Surman. Some confusion reigned as the referee awarded a penalty for handball. Surman's arm seemed to be by his side in a normal running motion when struck. Not surprisingly, VAR recommended to the referee that he got to the pitchside monitor for a check. Just as unsurprisingly, the decision was overturned. Then, to add even more confusion, rather than the end decision being a corner kick, the referee presented an uncontested drop ball to New Zealand. The mostly pro-Belgian crowd thought unkindly of that decision and gave the ref heaps when he signalled for the hydration break shortly after. We live in interesting times.

In the 28th minute Belgium took a corner kick and, criminally, the defenders let the ball bounce in the penalty area; the ball hit Tim Payne and fell straight to Trossard and he put it into the roof of the net. 1-0 to Belgium. In the 30th minute Payne wasted a good chance when he overhit a cross. In the following minute, Sarpreet Singh won a corner for the Kiwis. The corner was delivered straight into the hands of Thibaut Courtois. In the 31st minute Maxim de Cuyper's low cross was cleared. In the 33rd minute, Cacace's cross was just too high for Chris Wood, and the ball was cleared. In the 38th minute, Paine's cross was cleared. The resulting throw in from Bindon was long and again, straight into the hands of Courtois. In the 39th minute, Doku's curling attempt just missed the top right corner. In the 41st minute, Cacace's cross from the left was almost met by Singh, but Courtois got there first to clear. In the 42nd minute, Trossard passed inside to de Bruyne but his shot went over the bar. In the 43rd minute Charles de Ketelaere was played through and his shot was finely saved on the stretch by Crocombe. In the 45th minute Trossard's shot from range was blocked. In the 2nd minute of stoppage time Hans Vanaken's shot was blocked by Ryan Thomas for a corner. In the 3rd minute of stoppage time Timothy Catsagne's shot went high and wide. Half time, 1-0 to Belgium. Quite frankly, they should have been at least three or four up.

In the 47th minute, de Bruyne's shot was dragged well wide. In the 50th minute, Belgium increased their lead. De Bruyne slipped the ball through to Trossard, and although his first shot was blocked, he volleyed in the rebound. 2-0 to Belgium. In the 54th minute, Elijah Just's effort was kept out on the stretch by Courtois, and the follow up shot by Payne was blocked by Brandon Mechele. In the 58th minute, New Zealand won a corner. It was punched clear by Courtois and then then Jesse Randall shot over the bar on the follow up. In the 61st minute, de Bruyne's shot was deflected for a corner. It was taken short and Arthur Theate's shot was well saved by Crocombe. In the 62nd minute, de Bruyne's shot was again deflected by Marko Stamenic for a corner. In the 64th minute, Cacace's cross was headed away. Then Randall's cross was put behind for a corner.

In the 65th minute, Trossard's run upfield saw him play the ball into the path of Matias Fernandez-Pardo, but he shot over. In the 66th minute, De Bruyne's shot was blocked. Then finally, on what seemed like De Bruyne's hundredth goal attempt, he scored in the 67th minute, with an accurate shot from outside the area that went into the far corner. 3-0 to Belgium. In the 74th minute first Fernandez-Pardo, then Amadou Onana had shots inside the area that were blocked. In the 76th minute, Just's shot was deflected behind. From the corner, Bindon headed over at the far post. 79 minutes gone, and de Cuyper put a free kick well over the bar. In the 80th minute, Alexis Saelemaekers shot high and wide. In the 84th minute, Bindon's cross was headed behind for a corner. Randall's corner was punched clear; it ran out to Elijah Just on the edge of the area who thumped the ball into the net. 3-1 to Belgium.

In the 86th minute, Nicolas Raskin sent over an inch-perfect chip onto the head of substitute Romelu Lukaku, who had only just come on. 4-1 to Belgium. In the 90th minute Onana's long range speculator for Belgium went well wide. In the 2nd minute of stoppage time, de Cuyper's long range effort was tipped over by Crocombe. Five seconds before the end of allotted stoppage time, Lukaku passed to Saelemaekers on the edge of the area, and his shot went in at the near post. 5-1 to Belgium.

As a result of this match, Belgium topped Group G and with Egypt, who drew with Iran, they progressed to the Round of 32. Iran had to wait to see if they were one of the eight-best third-placed teams. New Zealand was eliminated.
This match was the first meeting between the two countries at any level.

This was Thibaut Courtois' 18th appearance in a World Cup Finals match, which eclipsed Enzo Scifo's record for Belgium. New Zealand had now appeared in nine games at World Cup finals without a victory, equalling the record of Honduras.
The 5-1 scoreline was Belgium's biggest ever win at a World Cup Finals tournament.

Answer: New Zealand

Belgium were winners as expected. New Zealand came bottom although they may feel they underachieved; whereas Iran possibly overachieved. Egypt in second place seemed logical.

Answer: Elijah Just (New Zealand)

Elijah Just was the standout in a disappointing tournament for bottom placed New Zealand. He was the leading scorer in the group with three. He scored a double against Iran on Matchday 1, and in the third match got another against Belgium. Iran's Rezaeian and Belgium's Trossard got two each, all other players only scored one.

There was one own goal scored in this group -- it was for Belgium, and it was scored by Egypt's Mohamed Hany in the opening match.

Answer: Belgium

In a low scoring group, Belgium totted up six goals, Egypt five, New Zealand four and Iran three.

Answer: New Zealand

Poor New Zealand did not play as badly as letting in ten goals suggests, but conceded is conceded. By contrast, Iran and Egypt let in three goals, and group winners Belgium let in two.