Belgium Down Ten Men Earns a Point Against Iran in a Scoreless Draw

By Daniel Feuerstein | Inglewood, CA | June 21st, 2026

It was another interesting game in the 2026 FIFA World Cup when Belgium faced Iran in Group H. Both sides were looking to gain an advantage, but unfortunately, neither side could get a goal for the lead. Even though Iran did get a numerical advantage on the pitch, toward the very end, nothing came to fruition. It was a fabulous contest from two sides who were looking to be the better side, but all they could do was shake hands and call it a day as this match ended in a scoreless draw.

Belgium couldn’t score, but caught the keeper

Belgium was pushing first to get a quick goal inside the first ten minutes of the match. Working the ball inside the Iranian area, as the cross came to Romelu Lukaku, he made a run towards the ball, slid, and lifted his right leg to try and deflect the ball into the net, but unfortunately, he caught Alireza Beiranvand in the shoulder and neck area as he was trying to stop the shot at the same time. Lukaku earned a yellow card in the third minute.

Iran Scores, but removed by VAR

Iran earned a free kick just 10 yards away from the Belgium area. It was a quick retake that saw Mehdi Taremi break through, get a hold of the ball, and score the first goal of the match. But on replay, there was an Iranian player offside, but in a passive manner. Many thought the play should’ve been whistled down for that, but instead, on another replay, Taremi himself was leaning a bit forward, and he was in an offside position, so VAR correctly informed the referee that the goal should be removed, and it was in the 25th minute.

Both Goalkeepers were perfect

Without a doubt, both goalkeepers did very well and put themselves in perfect position to stop all chances from either side. Beiranvand from Iran and Thibault Courtois for Belgium stood on their heads and were acrobatic enough to make the saves and parry the ball away from their net. No matter how many chances each side had, the goalkeepers were right there to make the saves and were spectacular.

Belgium is down to ten men

Six minutes past the hour mark, Belgium were punished when Nathan Ngoy decided to take down his man as the last defender in a denial of a goal-scoring opportunity. Ngoy made a poor backpass to no one, and Taremi quickly pounced on the ball, starting his attacking run. While Ngoy was just slightly behind Taremi, he grabbed his man from behind and just enough to bring him down, and the referee had no choice but to pull out the red card and sent Ngoy to the showers in the 66th minute. Unfortunately for Iran, they still couldn’t score that goal while having the numerical advantage on the pitch.

Group G is interesting

As of right now, Belgium and Iran have two points each, and we are waiting to see what happens when New Zealand and Egypt face each other in their Group stage match. There are plenty of discussions and variables to put together a simple idea of who might go ahead and who might get eliminated from the World Cup when they advance to the knockout stage, but for right now, everything is on the table.

Belgium & Iran ended their match in a scoreless draw, and more questions are being asked about who will advance to the Round of 32 in the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Bad Dawg Sports will be there for every minute—sharp, direct, and on the ground as the Red Bulls continue with their youth movement as they take on anyone from Major League Soccer. Subscribe today for just $2 per year.