Belgium and Iran played out a goalless stalemate at the World Cup 2026 after a thrilling finale in their Group G clash in Los Angeles.
Iran, having entered the tournament with increased scrutiny of the ongoing war with co-hosts the United States, had their national anthem loudly booed once again, before the talking points temporarily switched to on-the-field matters.
Mehdi Taremi looked to have given them a shock lead against the Red Devils, only for VAR to rule out the goal due to offside and encroachment.
Alireza Beiranvand’s wonder save then denied Maxim De Cuyper after tidy work from Kevin de Bruyne, with Romelu Lukaku also left frustrated as the Red Devils struggled to break down Iran.
Belgium continued to apply the pressure and Matias Fernandez-Pardo blazed over after a glorious opening, with both teams left with two points from two games and the prospect of winning the group or going up still open entering the final games of the group. Follow all the reaction and relive a memorable game in Los Angeles below:
Read MoreThe surreal possibility hanging over Iran’s perilous World Cup campaign
Belgium v Iran LIVE: Latest World Cup updates
- 10-man Belgium left frustrated by Iran in World Cup stalemate in Los Angeles
- 25' NO GOAL! VAR rules out Taremi goal due to offside and encroachment [BEL 0-0 IRN]
- 60' What a save! Or miss? Beiranvand denies De Cuyper from five yards [BEL 0-0 IRN]
- 67' RED CARD! Ngoy drags down Taremi and must walk as the last man!
- Belgium XI: Courtois, Mechele, De Cuyper, Meunier, Ngoy, De Bruyne, Tielemans, Saelemaekers, Raskin, Lukaku, Trossard
- Iran XI: Beiranvand, Hardani, Hajisafi, Kanani, Nemati, Rezaeian, Ezatolahi, Mohebbi, Ghoddos, Taremi
- Iran national anthem loudly booed again in Los Angeles
Roy Keane unhappy with Belgium vs Iran
22:27 , James Hicken"I thought it was rubbish"
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 21, 2026
Roy Keane didn't mince his words when analysing Belgium v Iran... pic.twitter.com/UUBYrUoVY9
'They've got no conviction'
22:13 , James HickenRoy Kean slammed the Belgium team for the quality of their performance saying the pace of the game, the decision making and the finishing were all sub par for a team of their pedigree.
Concerns for Belgium
22:09 , James HickenBelgium haven’t scored a goal for themselves in two games of this world cup, they only managed to claim a point against Egypt through an own goal.
There was many opportunities for Belgium to capitalise but no one wanted to step up and of course Iran’s keeper Beiranvand had the game of his life.
But something needs to change in the final third for Belgium if they hope to make it out of this group.
Full-time: Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
22:05 , James HickenEvery single game in group G has been drawn and Belgium and Iran can’t improve upon that.
The game ends a goalless draw. Belgium were on top for the majority of the game and will be disappointed they couldn’t finish any of their chances.
Credit to Iran’s defence for holding on and almost finding a goal of their own only to be held by Courtois themselves.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
22:01 , James Hicken90 + 5 mins: Lukebakio hit a near perfect strike that missed the top corner by a matter of inches.
It’s now Iran hanging on
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:59 , James Hicken90 + 2 mins: A searching cross from Castagne finds Mechele who couldn’t get enough head on it.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:56 , James Hicken89 mins: Since the red card, Iran saw a small swing in their favour, but it is now looking like Belgium might be the ones to break the deadlock.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:52 , James Hicken86 mins: Beiranvan makes yet another stunning save as De Cuyper attempted to finish a Tielemans cross.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:51 , James Hicken84 mins: The game has begun to open up as the space left by Ngoy begins to become more obvious the more tired the Belgium legs become
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:48 , James Hicken81 mins: Unforced errors creeping in now for Belgium as De Bruyne gives the ball away easily and is lucky not to be punished as Courtois is once again forced to make a save
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:43 , James Hicken77 mins: Iran are now well and truly on top as Belgium invite the pressure on, taking up a deeper, more narrow shape - giving them more space out wide
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:40 , James Hicken74 mins: Arthur Theate comes on for Lukaku, meaning Garcia has decided to more than likely play for the point here and minimise the risk of another group stage exit.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:37 , James HickenHydration break: Rudy Garcia will need to do some serious re organising in the short relief he has after the red card.
Iran will now be more tenacious than ever and be buoyed by this new opportunity.
Red Card! Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:34 , James Hicken67 mins: Ngoy is removed from proceedings after under hitting a pass back to Courtois and then grabbing the shirt of the chasing Taremi - denying a clear goal scoring opportunity.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:32 , James Hicken65 mins: A half chance from an Iran corner as Khalilzadeh rose for a header that hit the side netting
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:27 , James Hicken60 mins: Belgium have their best chance of the game so far as De Bruyne goes deep and crosses it in to Lukaku who can’t get to it, and De Cuyper has a second chance at it, but it is well saved by the keeper.
Nothing will go for Belgium.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:20 , James Hicken53 mins: Courtois makes another fantastic save to keep Belgium alive after a decent effort from No.9 Taremi.
Belgium have had more shots so far but Iran have had the more clear cut chances
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:18 , James Hicken52 mins: Khalilzadeh heroically blocks a De Cuyper shot in a region where he will be feeling that for a while.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:16 , James Hicken50 mins: Saelemaekers almost hit the target with a great volley at a tight angle just beyond the back post of a long corner from De Bruyne.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:13 , James Hicken47 mins: Lovely bit of skill from Trossard to wrong foot the defender on the edge of the box and feed De Bruyne who has his shot blocked and out for a throw-in
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
21:11 , James Hicken46 mins: We are back underway and we will be hoping for a bit more action on both sides in the next 45 mins.
Iran make the only change as Hardani makes way for Jahanbakhsh
Half-Time: Is Lukaku a problem?
21:06 , James HickenHaving not started a game for club or country this season, it’s not a surprise to see that he is off the pace. Lukaku hasn’t had the pace to chase down some passes or the timing to be there to put his head on a cross and we haven’t really seen him use his physicality to any effect yet.
Has he earned a second-half appearance?
Half-time: Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:58 , James HickenBelgium go into half-time with no reward for their domination. They are struggling with finding the right final pass, or Lukaku’s positioning is off, depends on who you want to blame.
Iran have kept them at bay but have not made any real dent in Belgium’s half with the disallowed goal as their only real chance of the game so far
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:53 , James Hicken45+7: Into our seventh minute of stoppage time and Iran have defended valiantly, but have not created anything for themselves which will need to be a focus for the second half.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:47 , James Hicken45 mins Belgium can’t seem to crack the code here, Tielemans and De Bruyne are giving it everything but it just doesn’t look as though it is clicking with Lukaku.
Could see a half-time sub.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:41 , James Hicken41 mins: Well you don’t see this very often, Meunier took too long on his throw-in and the referee as punished him by reversing his decision and giving the throw-in to Iran
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:39 , James Hicken39 mins: Belgium get a dangerous free kick after three consecutive rough challenges on Kevin De Bruyne.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:34 , James Hicken33 mins: Ezatolahi receives a yellow card for a conspicuous challenge on Tielemans, grabbing the midfielder by the shoulders and bringing him down.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:32 , James HickenHydration break: Met with loud boos, as the hydration break begins, Belgium will be mostly happy with the opening quarter, but will be on alert after nearly falling behind to a lovely bit of ingenuity from Iran
No Goal! Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:28 , James HickenTaremi was a hair offside, but it’s a wake up call to Belgium that they cannot take their foot off the pedal for a second against this Iran team
Potential goal! Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:27 , James Hicken25 mins: Iran gifted a free-kick and pull of a cheeky set play, with Taremi being slipped the ball just behind the wall and the star striker snuck it past Courtois who had no doubt been taken by surprise.
VAR is checking it now, but it’s a close call
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:24 , James Hicken22 mins: De Bruyne and Yuri Tielemans link up beautifully and the captain let the ball run down the right hand side, then fired off a powerful shot at the near post to force a save from Beiranvand
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:21 , James Hicken18 mins: De Bruyne is already running the show, playing some unreal free flowing football, they are just lacking that crucial final pass, once they find it, it should be goal time.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:16 , James Hicken14 mins: Iran have found a response to Belgium’s pressure and forced a brilliant save from Thibaut Courtois who dropped to his right as a low driven effort snuck through the defence.
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:12 , James Hicken10 mins: Belgium are massively on top here, De Bruyne has already had a handful of attempts on goal and Iran are desperately defending.
Lukaku is also imposing himself physically on the back-line
Iran national anthem booed
20:10 , James HickenLoud boos echoed over the top of the Iranian national anthem, as they continue to be a figure of controversy during this world cup.
They also still have travel issues and were only allowed to enter the US 16 hours before kick off
Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:05 , James Hicken3 mins: Belgium get the first corner of the match, which comes up short and Kevin De Bruyne follows up with a tantalising ball into the area which the keeper bravely collects and collides heavily with Romelu Lukaku who is carded for the late challenge and the keeper has stayed down.
Kick-off: Belgium 0 - 0 Iran
20:00 , James HickenWe are underway for the 38th match of this world cup as group favourites Belgium take on Iran after both teams drew their previous fixtures.
Belgium play in a 4-2-3-1 with Lukaku making his first start for club or country this season and Iran will run out in a 3-4-3 that retreats into a five-back
Both teams field changes in an effort to go a step further and claim three points.
Iran team news
19:50 , Flo CliffordIran manager Amir Ghalenoei has made three changes to the team that drew 2-2 with New Zealand.
Saleh Hardani, Ehsan Hajisafi and Hossein Kanani replace Arya Yousefi, Shahriyar Moghanloo and Milad Mohammadi.
Protestors outside the stadium
19:50 , James Hicken
World Cup 2026: Belgium and Iran meet for first time
19:45 , Jamie BraidwoodThis will be the first time Belgium and Iran have played each other.
Belgium, semi-finalists in 2018, are bidding to get out of the group stage after a disastrous 2022 World Cup in Qatar where they finished behind Morocco and Croatia.
Iran are attempting to get through to the knockout stages of a World Cup for the first time, following three group-stage exits in a row between 2014 and 2022.
Protests ahead of Iran's World Cup games
19:35 , Jamie BraidwoodAhead of the 2-2 draw with New Zealand, 300 to 500 protesters gathered outside the stadium waving anti-Iranian government signs and flags, protesting against the country’s regime and its crackdown on pro-democracy protestors while inside loud jeers were heard from some sections of the crowd during the Iranian national anthem.
Iran are back at the So-Fi Stadium in Los Angeles this evening for their clash with Belgium. They will then head to Seattle for their final match against Egypt.
Team news
19:33 , Flo CliffordBelgium manager Rudi Garcia makes four changes to the side which drew with Egypt, with Castagne, Onana, De Ketelaere and the ill Doku replaced by De Cupyer, Raskin, Lukaku - who is fit to start despite concerns - and Saelemaekerrs.
Belgium continuing to manage Romelu Lukaku's minutes at World Cup
19:27 , Jamie BraidwoodDespite forcing the equaliser within seconds of coming onto the pitch during Belgium’s opening draw with Egypt, Romelu Lukaku has not started a match all season and is continuing to build up his fitness at the World Cup.
The Napoli striker only made eight appearances for the Italian side last season, all from the bench, and managed 25 minutes against Egypt.
"We do need to be careful because we could be tempted to play him more than he could safely play, and Belgium want him for the entire tournament, manager Rudi Garcia said.
However, he has been selected in the starting XI tonight.
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei: 'The conditions have become even harder'
19:20 , Jamie BraidwoodIran coach Amir Ghalenoei: “We only managed to train half the time we usually spend on training. We wanted to have optimal physical and technical preparation.
“Look at the Belgium team,” he added. “They arrived yesterday noon. They've managed to have proper training.”
He said they had had 24 hours to prepare before their 2-2 draw with New Zealand on the first matchday. “The conditions have become even harder,” he said.
Ghalenoei, however, praised Fifa president Gianni Infantino and the governing body for attempting to help. “I know for sure that Fifa and Mr Infantino are doing the utmost to ease these challenges that we are facing. I think FIFA did its utmost to minimise the problems we have faced.”
Belgium v Iran: Group G standings
19:10 , Jamie BraidwoodAll four teams drew their opening games in Group G, which means no one can progress or be eliminated today. Egypt play New Zealand later this evening.
Iran line-up
18:52 , Flo CliffordIran XI: Beiranvand, Hardani, Hajisafi, Kanani, Nemati, Rezaeian, Ezatolahi, Mohebbi, Ghoddos, Taremi
Substitutes: Niazmand, Hosseini, Mohammadi, Yousefi, Iri, Jahanbaksh, Cheshmi, Torabi, Ghorbani, Razaghinia, Ghayedi, Alipour, Hosseinzadeh, Moghanloo, Dargahi
Belgium line-up
18:50 , Flo CliffordBelgium XI: Courtois, Mechele, De Cuyper, Meunier, Ngoy, De Bruyne, Tielemans, Saelemaekers, Raskin, Lukaku, Trossard
Substitutes: Lammens, Penders, Theate, Winter, Seys, Castagne, Witzel, Moreira, Vanaken, Onana, Lukebakio, De Ketelaere, Fernandez-Pardo
TV presenter apologises after criticising Jeremy Doku’s plan to leave World Cup for birth of first child
18:40 , Jamie BraidwoodA French TV presenter has apologised after criticising Belgium winger Jeremy Doku’s decision to leave the World Cup to be with his wife for the birth of their first child.
Doku, who will Belgium’s match against Iran on Sunday due to a chest infection, revealed that his wife Shireen is due during the second week of July - which will coincide with the quarter-finals.
The Manchester City forward, 24, told Reuters that he plans to leave the World Cup and return home even if Belgium are still in the tournament. Belgian media reported that plans are being put in place so Doku can travel home via private jet.
However, Doku’s comments were criticised by Channel L'Equipe presenter France Pierron, who said the father is “completely useless” during their child’s birth.
TV presenter apologises after criticising Jeremy Doku’s plan to leave World Cup
The surreal possibility hanging over Iran’s perilous World Cup campaign
18:25 , Jamie BraidwoodThe hard truth is worth repeating: it is the first time in the World Cup’s 96-year history that a competing nation is at war with a host. Kieran Jackson explains:
The surreal possibility hanging over Iran’s perilous World Cup campaign
Last time out: Resilient Iran defy obstacles to salvage draw against New Zealand
18:10 , Jamie BraidwoodIran drew their World Cup 2026 opener with New Zealand but emphatically won the support of the Iranian community inside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, having overcome unprecedented obstacles just to play at these finals.
The Asian team hit back twice through Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebbi to force a 2-2 draw, with Eli Just grabbing a brace for the All Whites.
A World Cup had never kicked off with a host at war with a participant before. Iran have faced the threat of being unable to take their place at the tournament ever since the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign back in February, been forced to change training venue from the US to Mexico to combat visa issues, and still had 11 non-playing officials blocked from entering the States for the team’s matches.
Resilient Iran defy World Cup obstacles to salvage draw against New Zealand
Last time out: Romelu Lukaku forces late Belgium equaliser against Egypt
17:55 , Jamie BraidwoodRomelu Lukuku shrugged off fitness concerns to help spare Belgium’s embarrassment as they fought back for a 1-1 draw against Egypt in their opening match of the World Cup in Seattle.
Lukaku, his country’s record goalscorer, was introduced in the 66th minute and within seconds was involved in the move that saw Mohamed Hany prod in an own goal to bring the two-time semi-finalists back on level terms.
Egypt had started brightly and snatched the lead in the 20th minute when Emam Ashour lashed the ball past Thibaut Courtois from the edge of the box to give his side hope of a first ever win at a World Cup finals.
Romelu Lukaku proves key as Belgium salvage point against Egypt
Iran coach questions US officials’ inconsistency as training for World Cup clash with Belgium cut short
17:40 , Flo CliffordIran coach Amir Ghalenoei has criticised the US authorities for how they have scheduled the team’s World Cup training, arguing there has been no consistency between games and that Iran are at a significant disadvantage for their upcoming fixtures.
Iran’s World Cup sojourn has been fraught with difficulty as a result of the war between it and the US. The team’s base was relocated to Tijuana, Mexico from its original planned base in Tucson, Arizona, while several staff members were denied visas to enter the US.
The squad has had to commute to the US for their Group G matches due to severe restrictions over their stay in the country, but those restrictions have been applied inconsistently from game to game, Ghalenoei said.
Iran coach questions US officials’ inconsistency as World Cup training cut short
What is the Iran team news?
17:33 , Jamie BraidwoodFor Iran, Saman Ghoddos’s presence is up in the air after the midfielder went off injured against New Zealand, battling an ankle problem. And Rouzbeh Cheshmi will miss this Belgium tie, having also missed Iran’s opener.
Possible Iran XI: Beiranvand; Rezaeian, Khalilzadeh, Nemati, Mohammadi; Mohebbi, Ezatolahi, Ghoddos, Yousefi; Taremi, Moghanlou.
What is the Belgium team news?
17:32 , Jamie BraidwoodJeremy Doku is set to miss the clash due to a respiratory infection. After Belgium’s first-choice centre forward Charles de Ketelaere missed training this week and was seen sporting a bandage, there was some speculation that he could make way for Lukaku in the starting XI to face Iran – especially given Lukaku’s instant impact off the bench against Egypt. However, De Ketelaere is expected to be fit enough to begin the game. Otherwise, Zeno Debast remains a confirmed absentee, with the defender having entered the World Cup injured.
Possible line-up: Courtois; Meunier, Ngoy, Mechele, De Cuyper; Onana, Tielemans; Trossard, De Bruyne, Vanaken; De Ketelaere
Belgium v Iran TV channel and kick-off time
17:31 , Jamie BraidwoodWhen is Belgium v Iran?
Belgium will play Iran at 8pm BST on Sunday 21 June (12pm ET) in Los Angeles.
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the UK can watch the match free-to-air on ITV1 with coverage starting at 7pm BST. It can also be live-streamed on ITVX.
Good evening and welcome
17:30 , Jamie BraidwoodBelgium eye their first win at the 2026 World Cup today, as they take on Iran in each team’s second game in Group G.
On Monday, Belgium got off to an underwhelming start as they drew 1-1 with Egypt, coming from behind to salvage a point as substitute Romelu Lukaku forced Mohamed Hany into an own goal.
However, with Iran next for the Red Devils before a final group-stage match with New Zealand, Belgium will still fancy their chances of topping the group.
That is especially so given Iran and New Zealand shared the points in their game on Tuesday, when goals from Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi helped Iran to a 2-2 result.
Iran claimed they were forced to leave the US within minutes of the final whistle, retreating to their training camp in Mexico, and they also said they were denied the chance to fly back to the US two days before facing Belgium.
Follow all the build-up before tonight’s Group G clash
