Belgium and Iran may come from different corners of the football world, but they head into this crucial Group G clash with exactly the same objective — securing their first win of the 2026 World Cup.
Neither side managed to make the perfect start to the tournament. Belgium were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw by Egypt, while Iran came from behind twice to earn a hard-fought 2-2 draw against New Zealand.
The opening round results leave both nations level on one point, and knowing that victory here could put them firmly in control of their qualification hopes.
Belgium arrived in North America carrying the weight of expectation, as they often do. Their squad is packed with talent, experience and players capable of producing moments of magic, but their opening display suggested there is still work to do if they are to live up to their billing.
Iran, meanwhile, continue to thrive when outsiders underestimate them. Their spirited comeback against New Zealand showed they have no intention of simply making up the numbers in this tournament.
The calculators can stay tucked away for now, but nobody wants to be reaching for them after the final whistle. A win would provide a huge boost heading into the final group match, while a defeat could leave qualification hanging by a thread.
Belgium will back their quality to shine through. Iran will trust their resilience and organisation to get the job done.
With so much at stake and so little separating the two sides after the opening round, this could be quite a tense affair.
How to watch Belgium vs Iran
Belgium vs Iran kicks off at 20:00 BST on Sunday, June 21, at the Los Angeles Stadium.
The match will be shown live in the UK on ITV1 and STV. Fans can also stream the game via ITVX and STV Player.
In the United States, the game will be shown on FOX or FS1, with Spanish-language coverage on Telemundo or Universo and streaming via Peacock.
In Canada, World Cup coverage is available on TSN and RDS, with select matches also broadcast on CTV. Streaming is available via TSN, RDS, CTV and Crave.
Belgium team news
Belgium escaped their opening draw with Egypt without any major injury concerns, which will come as welcome news for head coach Rudi Garcia.
After a frustrating result in their first outing, there may be temptation to shuffle the pack, but wholesale changes would be a surprise.
Managers rarely enjoy pressing the panic button after one match. Especially when doing so usually leads to awkward questions if the replacement performs worse than the player they dropped.
Belgium still possess plenty of attacking quality, and much of the focus will once again fall on Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku.
Neither player was at their sparkling best against Egypt, but both have proven in the past that they can change a game in an instant.
The Red Devils are expected to dominate possession and create chances. The challenge will be turning that control into goals against a stubborn Iranian defence.
Belgium expected XI:
Courtois – Meunier, Ngoy, Mechele, Castagne – Onana, Tielemans – Trossard, De Bruyne, Doku – De Ketelaere.
Iran team news
Iran also appear to have come through their opening match without suffering any significant injury setbacks.
That should leave Amir Ghalenoei with little reason to make major alterations after seeing his side battle back twice to claim a point against New Zealand.
Momentum can be a powerful thing at major tournaments, and managers are often reluctant to fix something that is not broken.
Iran’s greatest strength remains their organisation and work ethic. They may not enjoy long spells of possession, but they are more than capable of frustrating opponents and making every opportunity count.
Much will depend on the influence of Mehdi Taremi, whose movement and finishing ability make him a constant threat whenever Iran breaks forward.
Belgium will expect to see plenty of the ball, but Iran will be perfectly comfortable with that situation if it allows them to stay compact and strike on the counter-attack.
That approach has served them well for years, and there is little reason to think they will abandon it now.
Iran expected XI:
Beiranvand – Rezaeian, Khalilzadeh, Nemati, Mohammadi – Mohebi, Ghoddos, Ezatolahi, Yousefi – Moghanlou, Taremi.
Belgium vs Iran stats
- Belgium have lost just one of their last 12 competitive international matches.
- The Red Devils have scored in nine of their previous 11 competitive fixtures.
- Belgium have reached at least the quarter-finals in two of the last three World Cups.
- Belgium have lost only one of their last seven World Cup group-stage matches.
- Iran have qualified for four of the last five FIFA World Cups.
- Team Melli have lost just one of their last eight competitive international fixtures.
- Iran have scored in six of their previous seven competitive matches.
- Mehdi Taremi has been directly involved in seven goals across his last eight appearances for Iran.
- Four of Iran’s last six competitive matches have produced over 2.5 goals.
Belgium vs Iran prediction
This feels like one of those matches where Belgium will spend long periods looking comfortable without ever feeling completely comfortable.
If that sounds contradictory, welcome to international tournament football.
On paper, Belgium have the stronger squad. They have more experience at the highest level, more players from Europe’s elite clubs and more individuals capable of producing something special when a game is drifting towards stalemate.
The problem is that Iran rarely read the script.
They have built their reputation on frustrating teams who believe they should win. New Zealand discovered that in the opening match. Plenty of other nations have found out the hard way over the years.
Iran are organised, disciplined and perfectly happy to spend spells without the ball. They do not need endless possession to be dangerous. Give Mehdi Taremi half a chance and he is more than capable of making defenders regret it.
That should keep Belgium honest.
The Red Devils were not at their best against Egypt, but they still created moments and looked dangerous in flashes. Kevin De Bruyne remains the player most capable of unlocking a stubborn defence, while Jeremy Doku has the pace to cause problems whenever space opens up.
Eventually, that extra quality could prove decisive.
Iran should make life difficult. They should stay compact. They should force Belgium to work for every opening.
The difference is that Belgium possess a few more players who can turn a tight game with a single moment of brilliance.
In a match that could be much closer than many expect, that may just be enough.
Prediction: Belgium 2-1 Iran
