Belgium draw – Roy Keane branded Belgium’s 0-0 draw with Iran as “rubbish,” pointing to poor finishing and passing as the World Cup favourites stumbled again. Belgium’s frustration was compounded by Nathan Ngoy’s red card, while Toby Alderweireld warned the squad’s top stars
Belgium’s players looked stunned by their own inability to score, staring at a 0-0 result that felt harsh after 22 shots—yet it was Roy Keane who delivered the blunt verdict that matched the mood outside the stadium.
After Belgium were held by Iran in Group G, Keane branded the performance “rubbish, really bad” on ITV Sport. “In terms of the quality of the game, I thought it was rubbish, really bad. Belgium obviously had a couple of really good chances. but the standard of passing. movement. decision-making. so poor. ” the former Manchester United captain said.
Belgium had chances, but goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand repeatedly stood between them and a breakthrough. Youri Tielemans had a shot at the near post saved in the first half, and shortly after the break Maxim de Cuyper watched in disbelief as Beiranvand denied him from close range.
Keane honed in on those moments. “When you’ve got players missing chances from three or four yards out, what chance have you got?. It [the De Cupyer miss] sums up their performance. They had no conviction in that finish or even their general play. Players lacked concentration and made basic errors. I was really disappointed with them.”.
The frustration grew once Iran were forced to defend differently after Nathan Ngoy was sent off. Ngoy received a red card for pulling back Mehdi Taremi. who had earlier had a goal ruled out by VAR for offside. Even with Iran then reduced to 10 men, Belgium struggled to turn possession into decisive attacking clarity.
Keane said the concession changed the game in Belgium’s least helpful way: “When they [Iran] got the extra man, it was almost easier for Iran when they were sitting and defending. All of a sudden, when they had the extra man, they almost didn’t know what to do with it.”
Belgium’s numbers suggested a team trying to force the issue—22 shots in all. seven on target—but the scoreline told a different story. They also left the match with their tournament hopes under fresh strain: Belgium are winless in their last four World Cup matches and have drawn two this campaign. They now have two points after their opening 1-1 draw with Egypt, and they must respond quickly.
Next Saturday, Belgium face New Zealand in a showdown to salvage their campaign.
Former Belgium defender Toby Alderweireld added another layer of concern. calling out the lack of production from the tournament’s key names. Alderweireld. who amassed 127 Belgium caps between 2009 and 2022 and was part of Belgium’s 2018 semi-final run. said via HLN: “This group is the weakest group of the World Cup. Then you have to finish first.” He questioned whether expectations were being allowed to carry the team: “Were expectations too high?. That is due to those last two matches before the World Cup [when they beat Croatia 2-0 and Tunisia 5-0].”.
Alderweireld pointed to the gap between reputation and delivery. “Those were positive. It is better to be able to go to a World Cup in that way, but key players – with the exception of [Thibaut] Courtois – are not delivering. That is problematic. It simply needs to be a lot better in general.”
Belgium manager Rudi Garcia, for his part, focused on what didn’t happen in the final third. He said: “We lacked efficiency up front. I expected this kind of game, with nearly 70 per cent possession, plenty of crosses and lots of shots. We hit the target, but we didn’t test the goalkeeper enough. Playing with ten men didn’t help either.”.
Garcia also insisted Belgium recognised exactly what comes next. “We’ve had matches like this before and usually scored at least three goals. That’s part of a slow start to a World Cup. At times, we looked a bit hesitant. We know exactly what result we’ll need against New Zealand.”
Romelu Lukaku echoed the same theme from a player’s standpoint, after again struggling to impose himself. Speaking to RTBF, he said: “We had many chances, but couldn’t score. We played with too much emotion at key moments in the game. When you start the match, you have to play with a plan and stick to it.”.
Then he cut straight to the only line that matters now. “We have to win the next match.”
The sequence is difficult to ignore: Belgium have 22 shots and seven on target, Beiranvand denies them again, and two matches into the group they’re left with a total of two points—just as scrutiny sharpens and a must-win game against New Zealand draws closer.
Belgium vs Iran Roy Keane Nathan Ngoy red card Alireza Beiranvand Mehdi Taremi Toby Alderweireld Kevin De Bruyne Romelu Lukaku Group G World Cup 2026 New Zealand