Belgium di Red Devils dey ready to take giant step toward knockout stage for World Cup, but dem must avoid upset from Iran. Di team disappoint for dia first match for Group G, drawing 1-1 with Egypt, but dat point wey dem collect for Seattle fit prove vital for progression.
With four points almost sure to secure last 32 berth dis summer, victory for Belgium on Sunday go be sweet well-well. Di conflict between Iran and United States don dominate discourse around dia participation for dis tournament, but shock win over di Europeans for SoFi Stadium go guarantee safe passage to knockout phase.
Thrilling 2-2 stalemate with New Zealand for dia first outing don put Team Melli for promising position. Sunday go be first-ever meeting between Belgium and Iran for any competition, with di former expected to claim victory for di maiden clash. But after underwhelming beginning to di 2026 tournament and shocking display four years ago for Qatar, di Red Devils no fit necessarily be trusted to avoid dis potential banana skin.
Di last remnants of Belgium golden generation get one final shot at success dis summer, but di performance against Egypt must improve well-well to achieve dia grand ambitions. Rudi Garcia get unique blend of experience and youth for im roster, legendary figures like Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Romelu Lukaku dey rub shoulders with burgeoning talents.
While wise heads dey important for di Red Devils, dem need dia up-and-comers to make dia presence known too. Fortunately, Sunday game na mismatch when e come to quality and FIFA rankings, and Belgium should take full advantage. Having score 20 goals for dia five final pre-tournament matches, e don time for Garcia attack to flex dia muscles for World Cup.
Iran no dey renowned for dia defensive prowess, as underscored by dia performance against New Zealand, and dem go struggle to keep Belgium offensive firepower under wraps. Zeno Debast na Belgium only injury concern for majority of build-up to di game, but dat na before local reports suggest star winger Jérémy Doku likely to miss out with respiratory issue. Lille Matias Fernandez-Pardo fit come in to replace am.
Di Napoli ace go dey flanked by Jérémy Doku and Leandro Trossard for Premier League-centric forward line. Romelu Lukaku make enormous impact from di bench last time out, forcing Egypt own goal after less dan 30 seconds on di field. But given di 33-year-old lack of match fitness, Atalanta Charles De Ketelaere should keep im place as starting striker.
Belgium predicted lineup against Iran (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Meunier, Ngoy, Mechele, Castagne; Onana, Tielemans; Trossard, De Bruyne, Fernandez-Pardo; De Ketelaere. Iran choose 4-4-2 formation against New Zealand and e remain to be seen weda Ghalenoei go opt for more defensively secure system against Belgium. Should di 62-year-old utilize di same setup, im no likely to make many personnel changes, although ex-Brentford midfielder Saman Ghoddos and di versatile Arya Yousefi be slight doubts with knocks sustained for di opener.
Iran go require clinical performance from Olympiacos striker Mehdi Taremi, di 33-year-old dey lead di line alongside Shahriyar Moghanlou. Iran predicted lineup against Belgium (4-4-2): Beiranvand; Rezaeian, Khalilzadeh, Nemati, Mohammadi; Mohebi, Ghoddos, Ezatolahi, Ghayedi; Moghanlou, Taremi.
Everything still dey to play for for Group G for Belgium and Egypt, with qualification for World Cup knockouts still on di line for dia next two games. Di two nations both dey level on one point having face each other, while Iran and New Zealand also play out stalemate against each other, meaning nothing don decide after di opening matchweek of di group.
Belgium currently dey for third having play out 1-1 draw with Egypt, and all four teams for di group get goal difference of zero. Three third-placed teams go qualify for knockout stage of World Cup, so di Red Devils no necessarily need to win both of dia remaining games to qualify as one win go guarantee top-three finish because tiebreakers for World Cup first dey based on H2H record. Win against either Iran or New Zealand go make certain say Belgium go finish above dem, but four points go secure top-two spot and progression into di round of 32.
Egypt dey fourth but dia situation exactly same as Belgium having draw 1-1 with dem, meaning victory guarantee top three, and four points guarantee top two. Di situation become more complicated if every nation end on three points, as no side go win on H2H record, while goal difference go also be same. If placements no fit decide by either H2H records or goal difference, den di next deciding factor go be goals scored, area wey dem currently trail New Zealand and Iran by as dem don score two goals each so far for World Cup.
Iran come into gameweek 2 for second place above Belgium and Egypt as dem score twice for dia 2-2 draw with New Zealand. Nevertheless, four points guarantee dia progression into di knockouts and three go secure third place at di very least. Di slim advantage wey Iran get for terms of goals scored fit be wipe by di end of gameweek three, so relying on dat tiebreaker go be risky.
Much like how Egypt dey for di same position as Belgium, first-placed New Zealand dey for exactly di same boat as Iran because of dia 2-2 draw. Di Kiwis go first play Egypt and den Belgium, and three points go likely be enough to advance into di knockouts, though four go make certain of top-two finish. Group G na arguably di most unpredictable, and gameweek two go get significant ramifications on qualification and elimination.
