Four draws in one day: Iran, Belgium, Spain and Uruguay all held at World Cup 2026

Four matches, four draws — the 2026 World Cup delivered one of its rarest days on record, with Iran, Belgium, Spain and Uruguay all failing to find a winner in results that have already scrambled the Group G and Group H standings.

Iran and New Zealand share the spoils in politically charged opener

Group G’s opening match at the Los Angeles Stadium was played against a backdrop of tension: FIFA’s ban on Iran’s pre-revolutionary flag was upheld hours before kick-off, thousands of Iranian fans defied it in the stands, and the national anthem was loudly booed — all coming just hours after US President Donald Trump announced a US-Iran peace agreement.

On the pitch, New Zealand’s Elijah Just scored twice, with Chris Wood’s hold-up play creating the platform for the All Whites’ attacks. But Iran hit back through Ramin Rezaeian and Mohammad Mohebi to claim a deserved point in what has been one of the matches of the tournament so far.

Lukaku’s presence enough as Belgium escape against Egypt

Belgium’s opener against Egypt was equally dramatic. Emam Ashour produced a goal-of-the-tournament contender — a fizzing strike that beat Thibaut Courtois — and overshadowed both Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush in the process. Romelu Lukaku, managing fitness concerns, came off the bench and his presence alone appeared to unsettle the Egyptian defence: Mohamed Hany put through his own net to hand Belgium a point. Atalanta’s Charles De Ketelaere had started, but the Red Devils now face a decision over their attack ahead of Sunday’s clash with Iran.

Spain stunned by Cape Verde in goalless stalemate

The day’s most significant result may prove to be Spain’s goalless draw with Cape Verde in Group H. Without Lamine Yamal and, to a lesser extent, Nico Williams, Spain were held by a nation of approximately 500,000 people. Entering the tournament as favourites, a point that felt like a win for Cape Verde felt like a loss for La Roja. The slip opens the possibility of a last-32 meeting with Argentina in Miami — a mouthwatering prospect for neutrals, though one Spain’s supporters will view with trepidation. Spain recovered from a similar stumble against Switzerland in 2010 to win the tournament, though their 2014 collapse against the Netherlands serves as a darker precedent.

Uruguay and Saudi Arabia cancel each other out

In the other Group H fixture, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia played out a 1-1 draw. Abdulelah Al-Amri gave Saudi Arabia the lead, but Uruguay battled back to level. The result means both sides remain in contention to top the group — and potentially spare themselves a likely last-32 encounter with Argentina — but neither has yet made the statement their position demanded.

The four-draw day is only the second of its kind in World Cup history, and it has left Groups G and H wide open heading into the second round of fixtures.