Group G should run through Belgium since they’re looking for a bounce back. They were ousted in Group play for the first time since 1998. Prior, they were in knockout stages numerous times and even finished 3rd in 2018 in Russia. In that same time frame, Mo Salah wasn’t healthy enough to take the pitch until the middle of the Group stage. Now, he’s in top shape and ready to lead Egypt to a potential knockout stage. With this group open enough to compete for second place, we look at Iran to find a way to the knockout stage for the first time ever. They’re an aggressive and scrappy team put teams like the young US squad at risk of missing the knockout stage in 2022. Expect the same from a team with a chip on their shoulder and underdog mentality. There are no expectations or projections for New Zealand making the knockout stage. Despite how much better Iran and Egypt might be, New Zealand might do something to catch them off guard.