For both nations, this second group fixture is a must-win scenario to avoid an early exit from the tournament
Published: June 21, 2026, 9:09 PM IST
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Romelu Lukaku (L) and Kevin De Bruyne of Belgium react during the group G match between Belgium and Egypt at the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Seattle Stadium in Seattle, the United States, June 15, 2026. (Photo: Xinhua via IANS)
Belgium will take on Iran in a crucial Group H fixture at the Boston Stadium on Tuesday, June 23 with both sides needing points to keep their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaigns alive. The match kicks off at 12:30AM (IST) as the Belgians will be up against a highly disciplined Iranian team.
For both nations, this second group fixture is a must-win scenario to avoid an early exit from the tournament.
Belgium started their World Cup 2026 campaign with a 1-1 draw against Egypt on 15 June. Egypt shocked Belgium by taking the lead in the 19th minute through Emam Ashour after a move created by Mohamed Salah. Belgium struggled to break down Egypt’s defense for much of the match and went into halftime behind.
The turning point came in the second half when Romelu Lukaku came off the bench. His immediate impact forced an own goal from Mohamed Hany, bringing Belgium level. Despite creating more chances later in the game, Belgium could not find a winner and had to settle for a draw.
Iran played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with New Zealand in their opening World Cup 2026 match on 15 June. New Zealand took an early lead through Elijah Just, but Iran responded well and equalized when Ramin Rezaeian scored in the first half.
Just struck again after the break to restore New Zealand’s advantage. Iran refused to give up and quickly found another equalizer when Mohammad Mohebbi headed home from a Rezaeian cross. Both teams pushed for a winning goal in the closing stages, but neither could find the breakthrough. The result left Iran with one point from their first group match.
Belgium Squad
Thibaut Courtois, Senne Lammens, Mike Penders, Zeno Debast, Diego Moreira, Timothy Castagne, Brandon Mechele, Jorne Spileers, Koni De Winter, Maxim De Cuyper, Noah Ngoy, Thomas Meunier, Arthur Theate, Nicolas Raskin, Amadou Onana, Axel Witsel, Youri Tielemans, Kevin De Bruyne, Hans Vanaken, Charles De Ketelaere, Dodi Lukebakio, Romelu Lukaku, Jérémy Doku, Matias Fernández-Pardo, Leandro Trossard, Alexis Saelemaekers.
Iran Squad
Alireza Beiranvand, Hossein Hosseini, Payam Niazmand, Daniyal Eiri, Ehsan Hajsafi, Saleh Hardani, Hossein Kanaani, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Milad Mohammadi, Ali Nemati, Ramin Rezaeian, Rouzbeh Cheshmi, Saeid Ezatolahi, Mehdi Ghayedi, Saman Ghoddos, Mohammad Ghorbani, Alireza Jahanbakhsh, Mohammad Mohebi, Amir Mohammad Razzaghinia, Mehdi Torabi, Aria Yousefi, Ali Alipour, Dennis Dargahi, Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh, Shahriyar Moghanlou, Mehdi Taremi.
