Bélgica must beat New Zealand after frustrating 0-0 with Iran

Belgium’s belief now has a deadline. After a 0-0 draw with Iran in Los Angeles, Rudi García’s side left itself with no margin for error in Group G, where Belgium and Iran are both on two points after two matches and New Zealand is next in a game that may decide who survives. The scoreboard exposed the gap between confidence and conversion: Belgium had the ball for long stretches, but possession did not become a goal.

The draw carried several warning signs. Belgium finished with 10 men after center back Nathan Ngoy was sent off in the 66th minute, a late setback that underscored how little room the team has for waste or indiscipline. Jeremy Doku missed the match because of illness, and Romelu Lukaku made his first start for club or country since June 9, 2025, but even that boost did not produce the breakthrough Belgium needed. Thibaut Courtois also matched Enzo Scifo’s Belgian record with 17 World Cup appearances, a milestone that said more about endurance than momentum.

For García, the final group match has become a test of whether his optimism is a plan or a cover for a finishing problem that has already cost points. Belgium still has not won at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and neither has Iran. That leaves the group tightly compressed, with every missed chance carrying tournament consequences. Belgium’s next match, against New Zealand at BC Place in Vancouver on June 27, 2026, is now a must-win if the Belgians want to keep control of their own fate.

New Zealand arrives with its own urgency. It drew 2-2 with Iran in Los Angeles on June 15, a result that left all four teams in Group G with one point after Matchday 1 and kept New Zealand’s search for a first World Cup victory alive. The Black Caps will first meet Egypt in Vancouver on June 22 before facing Belgium five days later, but the arithmetic is already clear: Belgium must finish, must stay disciplined, and must turn García’s confidence into three points, or the group stage will end as a case of promise overtaken by the math.