Belgium continues to underwhelm at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Under the guidance of Rudy Garcia, the Red Devils failed to break down Iran’s defense in their second group stage match, settling for a goalless draw.
From the outset, Belgium dominated possession, but their positional pressure lacked creativity. Leandro Trossard and Kevin De Bruyne attempted to inject urgency, yet Iran’s compact defensive setup held firm. In fact, Iran looked more threatening on the counterattack. Thibaut Courtois, playing his record 17th World Cup match, made a crucial save from Kanaani’s strike. On the 25th minute, Mehdi Taremi found the net for Iran, but the goal was disallowed by VAR due to offside.
In the second half, Belgium needed to take the lead, but Iran’s goalkeeper produced an extraordinary save to deny Maxim De Kuyper. The situation worsened for Belgium in the 67th minute when Noah Ngoyi made a costly error by playing a poor back pass and then fouled the sprinting Taremi by pulling his shirt, resulting in a red card.
Reduced to ten men, Belgium had to reorganize defensively. Despite the numerical disadvantage, the Red Devils still had a chance to snatch victory. In stoppage time, Lukebakio curled a shot towards the far post, narrowly missing the target.
After two matches, Belgium has only two points, leaving their position in Group G precarious. The team missed the opportunity to top the group and now cannot afford any slip-ups. Their final group game is against New Zealand.
Iran, with the same points tally, still holds a realistic chance of causing an upset and advancing. In their parallel fixture against Egypt, they will fight to secure a historic spot in the round of 16.
2026 FIFA World Cup
Belgium 0–0 Iran
