Keane brands Belgium 'rubbish' after 10-man stalemate leaves them on the brink at World Cup

Belgium’s 2026 World Cup campaign is teetering on the edge after a goalless draw with Iran in Los Angeles on Sunday left them without a win in two group games, prompting a withering on-air assessment from Roy Keane. Rudi Garcia’s side, ranked 10th in the world and heavy pre-match favourites, failed to break down their Asian opponents and were reduced to ten men late on, compounding a deeply frustrating evening.

The match’s most dramatic moment came midway through the first half, when Iran’s Ehsan Hajsafi stood over a free-kick some 30 yards out and, rather than shooting, threaded a disguised pass through the wall to release Mehdi Taremi, who slotted into the bottom-right corner. The celebration was brief — VAR ruled Taremi offside as the ball was played, and the goal was disallowed.

Belgium’s night worsened in the 67th minute when young defender Nathan Ngoy miskicked a back-pass to Thibaut Courtois, allowing Taremi to latch onto the loose ball and race clear. Ngoy, the last man back, brought down the Iran forward and was shown a straight red card. Despite the numerical advantage, Iran were unable to capitalise, and the match ended goalless.

Speaking in the ITV studio after the final whistle, Keane did not hold back when asked to assess the contest. “In terms of the quality of the game, I thought it was rubbish. Really bad,” he said. “Obviously Belgium had a couple of really good chances, but the standard in terms of the passing, movement, decision-making — so poor.” He also noted that Iran, despite earning the extra man, appeared uncertain how to press their advantage: “It’s almost easier for Iran when they were sitting and defending. When they had the extra man, they almost didn’t know what to do with it.”

Belgium have now drawn both of their group matches, having also shared a 1-1 result with Egypt in their tournament opener. They must beat New Zealand in their final Group G fixture on Saturday, 27 June, and hope other results go their way to reach the knockout rounds.

The occasion was also marked by controversy before kick-off, when Iran’s national flag and anthem were booed by sections of the crowd inside the Los Angeles stadium amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East — the second such incident involving Iran at this tournament.