Belgium's path to the FIFA World Cup 2026 grew more precarious after they were held to a 2-2 draw by Iran in a pulsating qualifier on Tuesday. The result leaves the Red Devils in a precarious position in their qualifying group, needing positive results in their remaining matches to secure a spot in the tournament.
Thrilling Encounter Unfolds
The match at the Azadi Stadium in Tehran saw Belgium take the lead twice, only for Iran to fight back on each occasion. Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring for Belgium in the 25th minute with a trademark strike from outside the box. However, Iran equalized just before halftime through Sardar Azmoun, who headed home from a corner.
Belgium regained the lead in the 62nd minute when Romelu Lukaku slotted home after a defensive error. But Iran refused to be beaten, and Mehdi Taremi leveled the score again in the 78th minute with a well-placed shot from the edge of the area.
Qualification Hopes in Jeopardy
The draw leaves Belgium in third place in Group A with 8 points from 5 matches, behind leaders Iran (11 points) and second-placed Serbia (9 points). With only the group winner guaranteed automatic qualification, Belgium must now win their remaining match against Serbia to have any chance of advancing.
"It's a disappointing result for us," said Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco after the match. "We had control of the game twice but couldn't hold on. Now we need to win our last game and hope for other results to go our way."
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei praised his team's resilience: "We showed great character to come back twice. This point keeps us in a strong position, and we are confident of finishing top of the group."
Match Statistics
- Possession: Belgium 58%, Iran 42%
- Shots on target: Belgium 6, Iran 4
- Corners: Belgium 7, Iran 5
- Fouls: Belgium 12, Iran 14
The result sets up a dramatic final round of qualifiers, with Belgium needing to beat Serbia and hope Iran drop points against bottom-placed Qatar to keep their World Cup dreams alive.
