The surprises in Group G didn't stop in Matchday two, as we are now set for a dramatic final day on the 27th of June, where anything can still happen.

In the first game of Matchday two, Egypt and Iran played out the fourth 0-0 draw of the 2026 World Cup, with both sides having great chances to take all three points.

In the second fixture, Mohamed Salah wrote another chapter in the Egyptian history books, recording a goal and an assist against New Zealand to record the nation's first-ever World Cup win with a 3-1 win over the All Whites.

As we prepare for a dramatic final match day of fixtures, here are five things we learned from the second round of games.

Many would have taken one glance at Group G before the start of the World Cup and instantly predicted Belgium to finish top of the group with relative ease.

Boasting a squad of players from the top leagues in Europe, Belgium came into the group stages as clear favourites to finish top, despite the 'golden generation' of the Red Devils' squad being over.

After two games, they find themselves on two points after disappointing performances against Egypt and Iran.

Besides some heroics from Iran's goalkeeper, Belgium have struggled in front of goal, with the Red Devils' solitary goal of the tournament so far coming from an own goal.

Both Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku look off the pace after a season full of injuries for the pair, while Jeremy Doku was quite easily dealt with against Egypt, before missing the game against Iran due to illness.

While they will most likely still qualify for the knockout stages, any team they come against in the Round of 32 and beyond will fancy themselves against this vulnerable fallen giant.

Egypt's main focus going into the World Cup was surely to end their 92-year wait for a World Cup win, and now that they have achieved that, they also now find themselves with one foot in the knockout stages, another unprecedented achievement for the Egyptians.

With one match to go, Egypt find themselves top of Group G, with a two-point buffer to second place, meaning if they get a point against Iran on the final day, they will almost certainly guarantee a first-placed finish.

The Pharaohs also have a two-goal advantage over Belgium in goal difference, and with the Red Devils' struggles in front of goal, if Egypt draw and Belgium wins, Hossam Hassan's side should still finish in an unlikely first place.

A draw against Spain in the friendlies leading up to the tournament, as well as a 1-1 draw against Belgium on the opening day, showed they can compete with the higher-ranked nations.

On the flip side, a 3-1 win over New Zealand showed they can get the job done against teams they, on paper, should beat, while even going 1-0 down to the All Whites.

Iran have grabbed the headlines, but for all the wrong reasons at this World Cup. Their disadvantage compared to the other sides at the World Cup have been well documented, with the side, being based in Mexico, having to travel to and from games on the same day.

Add to that the problems certain Iranian staff members had obtaining visas, and the uncertainty over whether Iran would even make it to the World Cup in the weeks leading up to June, and it's easy to understand why their performances on the pitch have gone slightly under the radar.

They head into the final game week undefeated, having impressed in their 0-0 draw against Belgium and showing great grit against New Zealand on the opening day, twice coming back from a goal down to earn a 2-2 draw.

Team Melli still has everything to play for against Egypt on the final day. While a draw may see them go through as one of the eight best third-placed finishers if results go their way, a win against Egypt could see them finish top of the group, depending on Belgium's result.

With two matches played in Group G for the All Whites, they find themselves bottom of the group with one point after their opening-day 2-2 draw with Iran.

Despite being the lowest-ranked nation at this summer's tournament, the All Whites can hold their heads high with their performances so far.

They have been much more competitive than anyone would have expected, with their exciting 2-2 draw against Iran on the opening day setting the tone for what was to come.

The All Whites have yet to win at a World Cup, and, perhaps in hindsight, they would have seen that game against Iran as their best chance to make history.

While qualification remains difficult, they have shown that they won't roll over for any nation in the group, and with Belgium showing frailties so far at this tournament, don't be surprised if New Zealand causes yet more shocks.

This World Cup has seen plenty of goals so far. Sweden have played a part in two 5-1 results, Germany put seven past Curaçao, and England beat Croatia 4-2.

The games in Group G, however, have largely been decided on the strength of the defence, rather than the firepower of the forward line.

After match day two, Group G had scored 10 goals, just three more than the lowest, which was Group C, showing how valuable defensive structure has been for the nations in this group so far.

Despite conceding twice against New Zealand thanks to a fantastic performance from Chris Wood as a target man, Iran have been defensively impressive, frustrating Belgium on match day two, and showing how difficult they are to break down.

Egypt's defensive display against Belgium on the opening day, completely shutting out Jeremy Doku, was excellent and didn't deserve to concede an own goal after such an impressive back-line performance.