The final round of World Cup group play is nearing an end and Groups G, H and I were back in action on Friday.
It was a frenetic finish in the late-night Group G matchup between Iran and Egypt that stole the show. Iran seemingly had a game-winner in stoppage time on a short shot from Shoja Khalilzadeh, but he was ruled offside after a VAR review and the goal was taken away — a brutal ending for Iran after it thought it had clinched a spot in the knockout round.
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In the other Group G matchup, Belgium pulled itself out of the hole it’d dug in the first two games, hammering New Zealand in a 5-1 blowout. That result, coupled with a 1-1 draw between Egypt and Iran, means that Belgium wins the group on goal differential. Egypt still advances as runner-up. Iran now has to wait until Saturday to find out but has a decent shot at making the Round of 32.
World Cup bracket after Friday night’s games. (Josh Heim/Yahoo Sports)
The highly anticipated Group I matchup between Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland was a bit of a letdown as the latter stayed on the bench in a 4-1 France win. Ousmane Dembélé outshined his elite contemporaries with the second-fastest hat trick in World Cup history to climb into the Golden Boot race. Senegal cruised to a 5-0 win over Iraq in the other match to keep its Round of 32 hopes alive.
World Cup schedule | Group schedule, results | Standings
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In the early evening window, Spain ousted Uruguay from the tournament and finished top of Group H with a 1-0 win. Cape Verde will also advance to the knockout round after a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia to finish second in the group.
Group G
Group H
Group I
See how all of Friday’s action played out, including live updates, highlights, results and analysis below.
Live234 updatesFri, June 26, 2026 at 7:57 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Sat, June 27, 2026 at 4:00 AM PDT
Ian Casselberry
Lionel Messi will begin Argentina’s World Cup 2026 group stage match against Jordan on the bench, head coach Lionel Scaloni confirmed to reporters on Friday.
Messi, 39, has scored all five of Argentina’s goals in the 2026 World Cup. With his two versus Austria, he became the World Cup’s all-time leading goal scorer with 18. He’s the current favorite to win the Golden Boot.
Argentina has already won Group J. That gives La Albiceleste an opportunity to rest some of their players and rotate in others who have not yet played. Messi is not dealing with an injury, Scaloni clarified.
Read more right here.
Sat, June 27, 2026 at 2:45 AM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
The Round of 32 is nearly complete and we already know several matchups that’ll be played next week.
With that in mind, here are some odds and early picks for the knockout round, including a bet to make on the Canada-South Africa and USA-Bosnia and Herzegovina matches.
Sat, June 27, 2026 at 1:30 AM PDT
Andy Backstrom
The U.S. Soccer Federation has offered men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino an extension that would keep him under contract for another World Cup cycle, through 2030, according to a Friday report from The Athletic.
The proposal was made to Pochettino before this year’s tournament, per the report, which also stated that a decision won’t be made until after the 2026 World Cup. Pochettino’s current deal is set to expire following this year’s tournament, during which the USMNT guaranteed its spot in the Round of 32 as the winner of Group D.
Read more right here.
U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino and his team will take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
(Jamie Squire via Getty Images)
Sat, June 27, 2026 at 12:00 AM PDT
Nick Bromberg
Seconds after tying Saudi Arabia 0-0 on Friday night, players from Cape Verde, the third-smallest nation to ever play in the World Cup, huddled around a phone and waited for the end of Spain’s win over Uruguay to go final for the dream to be real.
Would the biggest underdog story of the 2026 World Cup continue for at least one more game? The answer was yes. And, somehow, Cape Verde is now an even bigger underdog.
Up next for the Blue Sharks: Lionel Messi and Argentina in the Round of 32.
Read more right here.
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 11:15 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
W
D
L
GD
GF
TCS
Pts
1
Belgium
1
2
0
4
6
-7
5
2
Egypt
1
2
0
2
5
-6
5
3
Iran
0
3
0
0
3
-6
3
4
New Zealand
0
1
2
-6
4
-4
1
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 10:51 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Whether from exhaustion or disappointment, the Iranians had nothing left after the game ended. Many were collapsed or crying on the field still in disbelief.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 26: Shoja Khalilzadeh #4 of IR Iran reacts with teammates after the 1-1 draw during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between Egypt and IR Iran at Seattle Stadium on June 26, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alex Livesey – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
(Alex Livesey – FIFA via Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 26: Shoja Khalilzadeh #4 of IR Iran reacts after the 1-1 draw during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between Egypt and IR Iran at Seattle Stadium on June 26, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alex Livesey – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
(Alex Livesey – FIFA via Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 26: Mohammad Mohebbi #8 and Mehdi Ghayedi #10 of IR Iran react after the 1-1 draw during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between Egypt and IR Iran at Seattle Stadium on June 26, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
(Richard Heathcote via Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 26: Ali Nemati #19 and Shoja Khalilzadeh #4 of IR Iran react after the 1-1 draw during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between Egypt and IR Iran at Seattle Stadium on June 26, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
(Richard Heathcote via Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON – JUNE 26: Shoja Khalilzadeh #4 of IR Iran reacts after the 1-1 draw during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match between Egypt and IR Iran at Seattle Stadium on June 26, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
(Richard Heathcote via Getty Images)
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 10:29 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 10:27 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
The Iranians now await their fate as a third-place finisher after the stoppage-time goal from Shoja Khalilzadeh was overturned by VAR.
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 10:05 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
In the end, it stays level, ensuring Egypt a second-place finish and giving Iran a potential — but not guaranteed — ticket to the next round as well. This was not the result that either team was hoping for: Several players are now down on the field, whether from exhaustion or disappointment.
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 10:03 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
One last chance for Iran, but it hits the crossbar, again. So close.
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 10:03 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
For a moment, Iran got to celebrate a stoppage time winner — but it got taken back. A long free kick leads to a chance that lands with Mohammad Ghorbani, whose shot is saved by Mostafa Shobeir, but the follow-through goes in.
However, after review, Iran was ruled offsides. No goal, and it stays tied.
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 10:00 PM PDT
Jack Baer
Alexis Saelemakers threw in another goal for an emphatic Belgium win. Now we turn to Egypt-Iran, where it’s getting interesting.
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 9:57 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
Mohanad Lasheen takes down Mehdi Taremi, and will miss the next match due to card accumulation.
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 9:54 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
A crucial corner kick from the Iranians ends with a great header from Mehdi Taremi, but it bounces off the top of the crossbar, tantalizingly close to an equalizer.
Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir is down for a moment, but is able to eventually get back to his feet.
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 9:52 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
The Egyptians erupted into cheers as New Zealand’s goal was announced in the stadium — a goal that gave the Pharaohs back the lead in the group with Egypt and Belgium tied on goal differential.
Moments later — like, genuinely a minute or so apart — the news the Belgium scored was not met with the same enthusiasm.
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 9:51 PM PDT
Jack Baer
Romelu Lukaku, Belgium’s all-time leading goal scorer, immediately responds with a header to make it 4-1 Belgium. Quite a turn of events, as Belgium once again leads the group.
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 9:48 PM PDT
Jack Baer
Elijah Just gets New Zealand on the board with a goal much bigger for Egypt than his own country. Egypt is back on top in the group.
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 9:46 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
With his second yellow of the group stage, Saeid Ezatolahi now misses the next match, should Iran officially move on.
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 9:42 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
Mo Salah, who was unexpectedly subbed out in the 57th minute, is on the bench icing his hamstring, meaning that there was a more injury-related reason to take him out early.
Egypt, who only had one sub left for the rest of the half, just used that fifth and final slot in the 76th minute. Mostafa Ziko, who went down earlier in the game after taking a tough challenge, is replaced by Hamza Abdelkarim.
Fri, June 26, 2026 at 9:37 PM PDT
Kari Anderson
Egypt comes out of the second half hydration break with its seventh corner kick of the game, and still can’t convert for a go-ahead goal.
Also, a hydration break weather update: The sun has set in Seattle, and it currently feels like 57 degrees out.