Egypt have secured their place in the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, finishing second in Group G after a 1-1 draw with Iran on Saturday. It marks a historic milestone for the North African side, who are appearing in the tournament for just the fourth time — having previously featured in 1934, 1990 and 2018 — and are advancing to the round of 32 for the first time in their history.
The Egyptians, known as the Pharaohs, took the lead after just five minutes when Mahmoud Saber, making his World Cup debut, followed up a shot that had rebounded off Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand and drove it home with his left foot. Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubair then produced a sharp save to deny a penalty from Mehdi Taremi, awarded after defender Mohamed Abdel Monem committed a foul in the area. Iran, however, levelled in the 14th minute when Ramin Rezaeian converted at close range after Shoubair could only parry a powerful effort. A late Iranian goal by Shojae Khalilzadeh was ruled out by the video assistant referee for offside. The draw left Egypt on five points, good enough for second place in the group, while Iran finished third on three points from three draws, and New Zealand exited the tournament on one point.
Egypt were joined in qualifying from Group G by Belgium, who demolished New Zealand 5-1 in Vancouver with goals from Leandro Trossard (two), Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers. Belgium's comfortable victory secured them top spot on goal difference over Egypt, despite having drawn their first two group matches. Egypt will face Australia in Dallas in the next round, while Belgium will play a third-place finisher in Seattle.
Elsewhere on Friday, Cape Verde — an Atlantic archipelago nation of around 500,000 people off the west coast of Africa, taking part in their first-ever World Cup — confirmed their place in the round of 32 by holding Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw, setting up a meeting with defending champions Argentina in Miami. Spain beat Uruguay 1-0 in Guadalajara to top Group H and avoid a potential early clash with Argentina. France maintained their perfect record with a 4-1 victory over Norway, with Ousmane Dembélé scoring a first-half hat-trick to match Kylian Mbappé's four-goal tally in the tournament. Both Norway and Senegal also qualified from Group I, while Iraq and Saudi Arabia became the latest sides to be eliminated.
With the group stage drawing to a close, Egypt's historic progression carries weight beyond football. The country is Africa's most populous nation, and the Pharaohs' first-ever knockout appearance gives the team — and a nation navigating a prolonged economic crisis — rare cause for celebration on the world stage.