Belgium played out a 0-0 draw with Iran at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, keeping them winless after two group stage matches in the competition for the first time since 2002.
The Red Devils held a lion’s share of possession at 68% and mustered a mammoth 22 shots, but Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand made some sensational saves on the day as Nathan Ngoy was sent off for Belgium in the second half.
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Iran appeared to have taken the lead in the opening stanza through a smart bit of play from a free-kick that resulted in Mehdi Taremi putting the ball in the back of the net but was adjudged to have been offside following a careful VAR review.
Belgium, who had come close through Youri Tielemans and Maxim De Cuyper forcing Beiranvand into fine saves, continued to throw the kitchen sink at Iran after the break, but clear-cut chances remained hard to come by.
Things went from bad to worse when Ngoy was shown a straight red for bringing down Mehdi Taremi when the Iranian star attempted to break forward, forcing Belgium to play with 10 men for the last 30 minutes.
Maxim De Cuyper, who was denied by Beiranvand earlier in the second half, saw another attempt saved by the Team Melli custodian, who delivered a man of the match performance for his side.
The draw, their second in a row, leaves Belgium with a meager two points in Group G, level with Iran, and must beat New Zealand in their last fixture of the round to qualify for the round of 32.
Here are the player ratings for Belgium.
Belgium Player Ratings
Thibaut Courtois – 8/10
Iran were potent in the attack and it was only Thibaut Courtois who kept Belgium in the game with his vital interventions. Three saves on the day, including a crucial one on Mehdi Taremi in the 53rd minute and then producing a diving save in the 81st minute to deny Saeid Ezatolah’s anticipatory shot from range. The only time he was beaten, Courtois was lucky that Taremi was offside.
Thomas Meunier – 5/10
He came a cropper in his duels, offered no attacking threat going forward, and even got caught out with the five second throw-in rule as Meunier took too long to play it, with the trow-in subsequently going to Iran instead.
Nathan Ngoy – 4/10
He was having a good game keeping Iranian forwards in check until Ngoy received his marching orders for bringing down Mehdi Taremi when the Iranian talisman looked to break on the counter with acres of space in front of him. A huge goalscoring chance denied, so the red card seemed justified.
Brandon Mechele – 7.5/10
Mechele marshalled the defense expertly against Iran’s aggressive approach, anticipating runs and snuffing out danger with impressive regularity. Six clearances today, including a vital one in 53rd minute when Taremi’s shot was parried away by Courtois into his path.
Maxim De Cuyper – 7/10
Belgium’s most dangerous player today, he got onto the end of a few chances but could never really finish them clinically. A loose pass in stoppage-time gifted Iran a goalscoring opportunity but luckily for him, it went begging.
Nicolas Raskin – 7/10
Tidy in possession, recycled the ball well and controled the tempo for Belgium. Not bad.
Youri Tielemans – 7.5/10
The Aston Villa man’s distribution was instrumental in maintaining Belgium’s rhythm in possession. He also got forward at every opportunity, delivering four crosses and creating three chances.
Alexis Saelemaekers – 6/10
His work-ethic is undeniable, with the AC Milan star making a lot of runs up and down the pitch but he needs to do more in attack. Hooked off in the 58th minute for Lukebakio.
Kevin De Bruyne – 7/10
Iranian players hounded him like a pack of wolves everytime the Belgium star got on the ball but the Napoli star was still able to create a host of opportunities for his side. He himself, was the beneficiary of five chances – all coming from Trossard, but failed to put them away.
Leandro Trossard – 7.5/10
Trossard was no less of a creative specialist tonight, creating chance after chance for De Bruyne. Excellent in one-on-one situations too. He really deserved to have walked away with an assist today.
Romelu Lukaku – 5/10
Having missed a huge chunk of the 2025-26 season with injuries, it’s not surprising to see Lukaku struggle at the World Cup now. Poor first touches and sluggish reactions saw a number of promising attacking moves break down.
Substitutes
Timothy Castagne – 6.5/10
Looked assured and didn’t put a foot wrong after replacing Meunier.
Hans Vanaken – 5.5/10
Came in with a decent chance but contrived to fire it over the bar.
Dodi Lukebakio – 6.5/10
A persistent attacking threat for Belgium and nearly bagged a late goal too.
Arthur Theate – 6/10
Brought in after Ngoy’s red card and did a fine job in defense.
Matias Fernandez-Pardo – N/A
Not enough time to make an impact.
Edited by Vignesh Raja