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Belgium could not overcome Iran this Sunday at the and recorded another goalless draw that seriously complicates their path to the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup.
The Red Devils now have two consecutive draws in the group stage without knowing victory. On June 15, they had already tied 1-1 with Egypt at Lumen Field, Seattle, in a match where the Belgian goal came from an own goal and Emam Ashour equalized for the Africans. Two matches, two draws, zero victories for a team that entered the tournament as the group favorite.
The match got off to a bad start for Belgium: Romelu Lukaku received a yellow card in the third minute, an early warning that affected his game from the beginning. The striker, who has gone seven consecutive World Cup matches without scoring, was substituted in the 73rd minute without having troubled the Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, extending a streak that has become one of the major questions for the European team.
The most controversial play came in the 25th minute, when Mehdi Taremi scored for Iran, but the VAR ruled the goal offside, denying the Asians the chance to take the lead in what would have been a significant blow to the Belgian hopes.
The game changed definitively in the 66th minute: the Belgian Nathan Ngoy received a red card, leaving his team with ten men for the last fifteen minutes. Despite the numerical advantage, Iran failed to capitalize on it, and the score remained unchanged. The goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made several important saves to maintain the clean sheet.
The Belgian coach attempted to respond with a triple substitution in the 58th minute—Meunier, Raskin, and Saelemaekers were replaced by Castagne, Vanaken, and Lukebakio—but none of the changes were able to unlock a match that resisted until the final whistle. Kevin De Bruyne, another key figure on the team, also left the field in the 87th minute without being able to make an impact.
The statistics starkly depict Belgian frustration: 71% possession, 20 shots—seven on target—compared to Iran's six, with only three on goal. A crushing dominance on paper, yet a null result on the scoreboard. Iran, for its part, came into the match after drawing 2-2 with New Zealand in the first round, with goals from Rezaeian and Mohebbi.
After this second matchday, the is completely open: Iran leads the table with two points from two matches played, followed by Belgium with the same two points. New Zealand and Egypt each have one point, although they have played one match less, which keeps the chances of all four teams alive.
The decisive match will take place on June 26: Belgium will face New Zealand at BC Place, while Iran will take on Egypt at Lumen Field, both matches at 11:00 PM Cuban time. The Belgians need to win to secure their qualification; any slip-up could eliminate them from a tournament being held in their adopted American continent.
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