Belgium must beat final group game after 0-0 draw with Iran

Belgium walked out of SoFi Stadium with far more questions than answers after a tense 0-0 draw with Iran in Inglewood, California. Romelu Lukaku turned the spotlight from tactics to temperament, saying Belgium played “with too much emotion” as the pressure of Group G began to bite. The result left Belgium with two draws from two matches, still without a win and still without a goal of its own in the 2026 World Cup.

Lukaku started and was replaced in the 73rd minute, but his post-match message was about composure rather than finishing. Belgium had already opened the tournament with a 1-1 draw against Egypt on June 15, when its only goal so far came from Mohamed Hany’s own goal. That means the decisive numbers are becoming grim: two games, two draws, one own goal, and no Belgium player yet on the scoresheet.

The match itself was shaped by moments of control and loss of control. Nathan Ngoy was sent off in the 66th minute for a foul on Mehdi Taremi as the Iran forward drove toward goal, a dismissal that tilted the closing phase against Belgium. Even before that, Alireza Beiranvand had been the difference for Iran, making seven saves and earning Player of the Match honors. Thibaut Courtois also kept Belgium in the game with key interventions, but neither goalkeeper could turn one point into three.

Lukaku’s frustration carried extra weight because of the road he took into the tournament. FIFA had highlighted a difficult season at Napoli, interrupted by a pre-season injury and the death of his father, with only 64 official minutes for the club across the campaign. Even so, Belgium still leaned on him as a central figure, and his demand after the draw was blunt: “We have to win the next match.”

That is now the reality for Belgium, Iran, Egypt and New Zealand, with Group G still open heading into the final round. For Belgium, the problem is no longer just whether the chances fall or whether the final pass arrives. With elimination pressure rising, the sharper test is whether this group can stay calm enough to turn talent into a result when its World Cup survival depends on it.