World Cup 2026: Belgium chase victory over ‘motivated’ Iran in second group match

World Cup 2026: Belgium chase victory over ‘motivated’ Iran in second group match

Belgium face Iran in their second match of the World Cup on Sunday in Los Angeles. Given the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, the game is set to be a highly charged encounter. A provisional peace agreement has been signed between the two countries, but security measures are tighter due to Iran’s presence in the US.

“We are all aware of the situation. I don’t want to mix sport with politics, but it’s difficult at the moment,” Belgian defender Thomas Meunier said on Saturday.

“The current situation could well spur the Iranian team on. You see players who are highly motivated to make their people proud. That’s an added challenge for us. Iranian players may have family members affected by the war. That makes the task more difficult for us. I’m sure of it.”

Striker Jeremy Doku is unavailable, having withdrawn with a respiratory illness. The match also comes too soon for Romelu Lukaku, Belgium’s all-time leading goalscorer, who has missed much of the season through injury.

He made an immediate impact as a substitute in the Red Devils’ first match against Egypt, forcing a defender into an equalising own goal less than 30 seconds after coming on. Monday night’s game finished 1-1.

“Rom isn’t yet able to play a full match,” head coach Rudi Garcia said. “He needs to adapt to training sessions and coming on as a substitute during matches. We must ensure we don’t overwork him. For the time being, he’s playing the role of super sub and it’s working well.”

Belgium and Iran have never faced each other before. Iran are ranked 24th in the FIFA rankings and sailed through the Asian qualifying zone to secure their fourth consecutive World Cup place.

All four teams in Group G go into the second round of matches on 1 point. New Zealand face Egypt early on Monday morning, having drawn their opening match against Iran 2-2.

Iran’s base camp is in Tijuana, Mexico, an hour’s drive or a 20-minute flight from LA, the venue for two of their three group matches. The US has only granted the team permission to travel to the host city the day before the match and the players must return immediately after the match.

Manager Amir Ghalenoei has criticised the way his team has been treated during the tournament. He said Iran had received information from FIFA on Friday afternoon about a possible departure for LA on Friday evening. In the end, the team were only able to travel on Saturday. Belgium have been in LA since Friday.

“It’s having a mental impact on us,” said Ghalenoei. “We needed 24 hours in LA. Instead, they gave us 16 hours. These restrictions are making things very difficult for us.”

Direct peace talks between the US and Iran are set to begin in Switzerland on Sunday, despite the Iranian military saying it has closed the Strait of Hormuz again as a result of Israel’s attacks on southern Lebanon. US vice president JD Vance arrived in Switzerland early on Sunday morning for the negotiations, with the Iranian delegation arriving the previous night. Talks are being mediated by Pakistan.

Belgium train at the LA Galaxy stadium ahead of their World Cup match against Iran, 20 June 2026 © BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM