Rudi Garcia’s side remains winless at the 2026 World Cup after being held scoreless by a disciplined Iran team. Alireza Beiranvand shines in goal, while Nathan Ngoy’s red card derails Belgium’s push for a late winner.
Belgium’s frustrating start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup continued on Sunday night, as the Red Devils were held to a scoreless draw by Iran in Seattle. After opening the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Egypt, Rudi Garcia’s men once again failed to find a breakthrough and now head into the final matchday under pressure.
Iran, meanwhile, produced another spirited display under Amir Ghalenoei and earned a valuable point that keeps its qualification hopes alive. Organized defensively and dangerous on the counterattack, Team Melli arguably looked the more threatening side during several stretches of the contest.
The first half immediately highlighted Belgium’s struggles. Despite controlling possession, the Europeans lacked precision in the final third and rarely managed to provide Romelu Lukaku with quality service. The striker, booked early for colliding with goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, spent most of the match isolated inside the Iranian penalty area.
Iran thought it had taken the lead midway through the opening period through Mehdi Taremi. The former Inter forward converted after a beautifully designed free-kick routine, but celebrations were cut short as VAR ruled the goal out for a marginal offside.
Taremi remained a constant threat and later forced Thibaut Courtois into an excellent save. At the other end, Kevin De Bruyne tried to inspire Belgium with his creativity, but even his brilliance was not enough to unlock Iran’s compact defensive structure.
The hero of the night was undoubtedly Beiranvand. The experienced goalkeeper denied Maxim De Cuyper on two separate occasions, including a superb reflex save from close range, frustrating Belgium’s attempts to finally break the deadlock.
The decisive moment arrived in the 66th minute. Nathan Ngoy made a disastrous back pass that sent Taremi racing toward goal. Realizing his mistake, the Belgian defender pulled down the Iranian striker just outside the box and received an inevitable red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Reduced to ten men, Belgium lacked the energy and ideas to mount a serious challenge in the closing stages. Iran comfortably absorbed the pressure and celebrated a draw that felt almost like a victory.
Belgium now sits on two points after two matches and remains without a win in the tournament. Qualification is still within reach, but Garcia’s side will need a much-improved performance in its final Group G encounter.
Match Report
Belgium 0-0 Iran
Belgium (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Meunier (58′ Castagne), Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; Raskin (58′ Vanaken), Tielemans; Saelemaekers (58′ Lukebakio), De Bruyne (87′ Fernandez-Pardo), Trossard; Lukaku (73′ Theate).
Coach: Rudi Garcia.
Iran (5-4-1): Beiranvand; Hardani (46′ Jahanbakhsh), Kanaani, Khalilzadeh, Nemati, Hajsafi (66′ Mohammadi); Rezaeian, Ghoddos (79′ Moghanlou), Ezatolahi (85′ Hosseinzadeh), Mohebi (66′ Torabi); Taremi.
Coach: Amir Ghalenoei.
Referee: Herrera (Argentina).
Goals: None.
Bookings: Lukaku (Belgium); Ezatolahi (Iran).
Red Card: Ngoy 66′ (Belgium).
Venue: Seattle.
