Belgium Vs Iran LIVE Score, FIFA World Cup 2026: Match Underway; Lukaku Handed Booking

The Group G clash between Belgium and Iran is officially underway at Los Angeles Stadium in California. The match, part of the second round of the group stage, carries significant weight as both nations look to secure their first victory of the tournament following opening-round draws. Early drama unfolded in just the 4th minute, with Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku receiving an early yellow card from Argentine referee Dario Herrera. With the group standings currently tight, both sides are under pressure to capitalize on this opportunity to improve their chances of advancing to the round of 32.

Alireza Beiranvand; Ali Nemati, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Hossein Kanani, Ehsan Hajisafi, Saleh Hardani; Mohammad Mohebbi, Saeid Ezatolahi, Saman Ghoddos, Ramin Rezaeian; Mehdi Taremi

SUBS: Milad Mohammadi, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mehdi Ghayedi, Ali Alipour, Payam Niazmand, Roozbeh Cheshmi, Mehdi Torabi, Arya Yousefi, Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, Shahriyar Moghanloo, Mohammad Ghorbani, Hossein Hosseini, Dennis Dargahi, Danial Eiri, Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia

Thibaut Courtois; Maxim De Cuyper, Brandon Mechele, Nathan Ngoy, Thomas Meunier; Youri Tielemans, Nicolas Raskin, Kevin De Bruyne, Alexis Saelemaekers; Romelu Lukaku, Leandro Trossard

SUBS: Arthur Theate, Axel Witsel, Senne Lammens, Mike Penders, Dodi Lukebakio, Koni De Winter, Charles De Ketelaere, Joaquin Seys, Diego Moreira, Hans Vanaken, Timothy Castagne, Amadou Onana, Matias Fernandez-Pardo

In their first Group G outing, Belgium played to a 1-1 draw against Egypt in their opening Group G match of the FIFA World Cup 2026, held at Seattle Stadium on June 15, 2026.

The match saw Egypt take a surprise lead in the 19th minute through Emam Ashour, whose right-footed strike from outside the box found the bottom corner. Belgium struggled to find their rhythm for much of the first half and faced difficulties transitioning effectively, often appearing static against a more aggressive Egyptian side.

Belgium’s breakthrough finally came in the 66th minute, shortly after the introduction of star striker Romelu Lukaku. Making an immediate impact just 28 seconds after coming off the bench, Lukaku’s presence in the box forced Egypt defender Mohamed Hany into an own goal. Despite a late push from both teams—including a notable chance from Lukaku and a strong defensive block from Brandon Mechele to stop Egypt's Omar Marmoush—the scoreline remained level at the final whistle. While Belgium dominated possession, coach Rudi Garcia noted that the team’s lack of clinical finishing, with only 20% of their shots on target, ultimately prevented them from securing a win.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be telecast live on Unite8 Sports network on television. For live streaming, one can catch the action on the Zee5 app and website.

Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026

Stage: Group Stage (Group E)

Kickoff Time: 4:00 PM local time (EDT) / 8:00 PM GMT (1:30 AM IST on June 21)

Venue: Toronto Stadium (BMO Field), Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Referee: Juan Gabriel Benítez

The FIFA World Cup 2026 has become a significant stage for political expression, particularly surrounding the Iranian national team’s participation. Demonstrations have been a constant presence in Southern California, where large numbers of the Iranian diaspora—many waving the pre-revolutionary "lion and sun" flag—have gathered outside team hotels and match venues like SoFi Stadium to voice opposition to the current Iranian government. These protesters often accuse the national team of serving as a political mouthpiece for the regime, leading to heated exchanges with supporters of the team. The tension has been further exacerbated by FIFA’s controversial decision to ban the pre-revolution flag within stadiums, as well as broader geopolitical friction following airstrikes on Iran in February. These protests reflect deep-seated divisions within the Iranian community abroad, leaving many fans conflicted as they navigate the challenge of supporting their national team during the FIFA World Cup 2026 without appearing to endorse the state that it represents.

Greetings, we are back with our FIFA World Cup 2026 live blog as Belgium and Iran face-off in the Group G match. The action is about to begin, so stay tuned for all the live updates from Los Angeles Stadium.