Nobody has managed to gain an early edge in Group G after a remarkable opening round in which both matches ended level. Belgium and Egypt shared the points in Seattle, while Iran and New Zealand followed suit in Los Angeles, leaving all four teams tied on one point.

Egypt came close to a statement victory over Belgium after Emam Ashour fired the Pharaohs ahead, only for Romelu Lukaku’s second-half introduction to change the game. The veteran striker helped force an own goal from Mohamed Hany as Belgium escaped with a 1-1 draw.

Hours later, Iran and New Zealand produced one of the most entertaining games of the tournament so far. Elijah Just scored twice for the All Whites, but Iran responded on both occasions through Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebbi to secure a 2-2 draw.

The result means Group G is completely level after Matchday 1. Every team has one point, meaning the second round of fixtures could dramatically reshape the standings. Belgium face Iran, while Egypt take on New Zealand in two potentially decisive clashes.

Group G: results

• Belgium 1-1 Egypt
• Iran 2-2 New Zealand

Group G: standings

After the first matchups in the group, the table looks like this:

Group G: remaining games

• June 21: Belgium vs Iran
• June 21: New Zealand vs Egypt
• June 26: Egypt vs Iran
• June 26: New Zealand vs Belgium

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