BelgiumvsIR Iran

Result

Belgium dominated the ball but were held by a resolute, ten-man Iran. Mehdi Taremi had a first-half strike chalked off for offside, and Belgium's frustration deepened when Nathan Ngoy was sent off on 66 minutes for hauling down Taremi as the last defender. Alireza Beiranvand made seven saves to preserve the clean sheet, and despite 23 shots and 70% possession Rudi Garcia's side could not find a way through, leaving all three Group G matches so far drawn.

Belgium 4-2-3-15-4-1 IR Iran

Belgium

IR Iran

Romelu Lukaku3'

Saeid Ezatolahi33'

Nathan Ngoy66'

70%Possession30%

23Shots7

7On target3

3Saves7

4Corners2

533Passes completed198

86%Pass accuracy73%

12Tackles19

42Touches in box15

Substitutions

Timothy Castagnefor Thomas Meunierat 58'

Alireza Jahanbakhshfor Saleh Hardaniat 45'

Dodi Lukébakiofor Alexis Saelemaekersat 58'

Mehdi Torabifor Mohammad Mohebbiat 66'

Hans Vanakenfor Nicolas Raskinat 58'

Milad Mohammadifor Ehsan Hajsafiat 66'

Arthur Theatefor Romelu Lukakuat 73'

Shahriyar Moghanloofor Saman Ghoddosat 79'

Matias Fernandez-Pardofor Kevin De Bruyneat 87'

Amirhossein Hosseinzadehfor Saeid Ezatolahiat 85'

At this Stage

Two rounds in, Group G finally has separation — one team's worth. Egypt's 3-1 win over New Zealand in Vancouver leaves them alone on four points as the group's only side to have won a match; everything else on this table is draw money. The latest instalment was a goalless afternoon at SoFi where Belgium ran up 23 shots and 70% of the ball, lost Nathan Ngoy to a red card, and still couldn't get past Beiranvand's seven saves. So Belgium and IR Iran sit on two points apiece, Iran ahead on goals scored, with New Zealand bottom on one — and every team still reaches the final day mathematically alive. A group that began all square has kept its habits; only Egypt have worked out how to turn ninety minutes into three points.

Group G

Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
Egypt	2	1	1	0	+2	4
IR Iran	2	0	2	0	+0	2
Belgium	2	0	2	0	+0	2
New Zealand	2	0	1	1	-2	1

Top two (above the accent line) advance to the round of 32; the third-placed team is in the race for one of the eight best-third spots.

What we know now

What I said beforehand

The preview, frozen at kickoff. Clearly dated, never rewritten — that's the deal that makes the predictions worth anything.

Belgium to win. Both sides opened with draws and arrive level on a point in a wide-open Group G, but the Red Devils carry far more individual quality — Kevin De Bruyne pulling the strings, Jérémy Doku and Leandro Trossard stretching defences. Iran are well-organised and dangerous through Mehdi Taremi, and a second compact display could frustrate Belgium as Egypt did, so this need not be comfortable. But Belgium's edge in the final third should be decisive. 2-1 Belgium.

Both cases written 2026-06-20, before kickoff — they freeze into the record exactly as written, however the match goes. The percentages are mine, quoted to a decimal because false precision is funnier — the unclaimed 28% belongs to the draw.