49' CHANCE! Kevin De Bruyne fires a delicious, in-swinging corner toward the back post. It floats just over the jumping Romelu Lukaku, but Alexis Saelemaekers is waiting behind him to lash a volley into the side-netting! The technique was absolutely spot-on from Saelemaekers, but the ball swiveled slightly just as he went to strike it through the laces, dragging it agonizingly wide. Another warning sign for Iran.

47' Injury concern for Belgium! Leandro Trossard is down and looking in significant pain after taking a heavy knock to the calf from none other than the newly introduced Alireza Jahanbakhsh. Talk about an eventful first few minutes for the substitute! The referee has stopped play, and the Belgian medical team has rushed onto the pitch to treat the Arsenal winger. A tense delay here in Los Angeles.

46' HISTORY IN LOS ANGELES! Alireza Jahanbakhsh is subbed on to earn his historic 100th international cap for Team Melli! The former Brighton & Hove Albion winger becomes only the 10th Iranian in history to reach this incredible milestone. A true servant of the national team, entering the fray on soccer's grandest stage!

46' Underway for the second half! The teams have emerged from the tunnel and Iran get us restarted, attacking from left to right. The first-half data tells a staggering story: Belgium have peppered Iran's goal with 11 shots compared to Team Melli's two, testing Alireza Beiranvand with four on target. The dominance is absolute, but the scoreline remains stubbornly blank. What on earth do the Red Devils have to do to shatter this Iranian wall?

It's scoreless at the break in Los Angeles! Despite commanding over 80% of the possession, Belgium haven't been able to find the breakthrough. Alireza Beiranvand has easily been the busier of the two goalkeepers, pulling off fine saves to deny both Tielemans and De Cuyper from awkward angles.

However, it hasn't been entirely one-way traffic. Thibaut Courtois had to rescue Belgium with a sharp, instinctive save to keep out Kanaanizadegan, and Mehdi Taremi actually had the ball in the back of the net before a training-ground free-kick was ruled out for a tight offside.

A fascinating, tactical chess match so far. A massive second half coming up!

45 1' Eight minutes of added time! The fourth official holds up the board to signal a massive chunk of stoppage time at the end of this first half. Belgium have utterly dominated the ball, boasting nearly 80% possession, but it remains deadlocked. The Red Devils are doing everything right up until the final third-they are just completely lacking that killer final ball.

42' What a ball from Tielemans! De Cuyper's left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved by Beiranvand! Belgium have thrown the kitchen sink at Iran in the last five minutes. Iran continue to frustrate them.

40' What a pass from Trossard! He lofts a brilliant, defense-splitting ball over the top to find De Bruyne. The skipper tries to cushion it down first-time for Lukaku, but there isn't enough pace on the lay-off, allowing Beiranvand to rush out and gather it safely. Sublime vision from Trossard, though!

36' Foul on De Bruyne! That was a reckless, lunging challenge from Ehsan Hajisafi, but the Iranian captain somehow escapes a booking. The referee deems there wasn't enough contact to warrant a card, much to the frustration of the Belgian bench. Chance here! Belgium win a free-kick in a very dangerous area.

26' We are back underway after a quick hydration break! Immediately, Saeid Ezatolahi picks up a yellow card for cynically pulling back Youri Tielemans to stop a counter-attack. He joins Romelu Lukaku in the referee's notebook-that's one booking apiece now!

23' GOAL... NO! Taremi scores, but the flag is up for offside! Iran's wild celebrations are instantly cut short. It was a clever free-kick routine straight from the training ground, with Taremi taking a sharp touch before rolling the ball clinically into the bottom left corner. However, he timed his run just a fraction too early. VAR Intervenes! A massive, massive let-off for Belgium!

20' Save at the other end! Tielemans tries to catch Beiranvand off guard with a cheeky, snap effort at the near post. However, the Iranian goalkeeper is equal to it, producing a flying save to prevent the ball from nestling into the side-netting!

13' Courtois, what a save! Belgium fail to clear their lines, and the ball falls kindly for Hossein Kanaanizadegan. He unleashes a powerful strike, but Courtois parries it brilliantly away from danger for a corner! Saeid Ezatolahi then heads wide from the resulting set-piece. A couple of massive let-offs for Belgium and decent chances for Team Melli!

9' Straight at Beiranvand! De Bruyne's initial shot is blocked, but the ball falls to De Cuyper, who fires the follow-up straight into the arms of the Iranian goalkeeper. Belgium have already carved out a couple of massive chances here, but they just haven't been able to make the most of them!

5' De Cuyper curls an inswinging corner, but it is cleared without conviction! Belgium quickly recover the ball, working it out to De Bruyne on the right. He fires a dangerous low cross that is spilled by Alireza Beiranvand, who collides heavily with Romelu Lukaku. Iran somehow manage to hack the ball clear, but Beiranvand is down and injured in the process. Yellow card! Lukaku is booked for that challenge, and he is absolutely furious with the decision!

We are underway in Los Angeles! Belgium get us going, moving from left to right, but surrender possession cheaply. Iran quickly turn the ball over and win a free-kick inside their own half, just meters away from the managers' technical area on the touchline.

The two teams emerge from the tunnel for the national anthems! It's a massive call from Rudi Garcia to start Romelu Lukaku, who returns to the Belgium starting XI for the first time in nearly a year. The 33-year-old made only nine substitute appearances for Napoli in Serie A last season following an injury-plagued campaign, but he's thrown straight into the deep end tonight.

This game will mark the first-ever senior men's competitive meeting between these two nations. With all four teams in Group G locked at one point each after the opening round, every single point becomes crucial tonight in the wide-open race for knockout qualification.

Stay tuned for all the live updates!

Belgium winger Jeremy Doku is unavailable for the clash after a recurring respiratory infection flared up during the team's stay in Los Angeles.

Doku has been battling breathing difficulties for several weeks, goal.com reported. He has now begun a course of antibiotics as Belgium seeks to ensure he returns to full fitness before the latter stages of the tournament.

Ahead of the game, Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said that although his team is still being treated unfairly by the host U.S. at the World Cup through travel restrictions and visa refusals.

"I am very glad that the Iranian nation is behind us," Ghalenoei said through an interpreter. "Our martyrs in Iran, we play for them. But I know that this kind of behavior has hurt our people. Even if we spent billions of dollars, we would not be able to have justice for our people. It just shows we are an oppressed country. But nevertheless, I hope we achieve peace, and I hope this kind of behavior does not become institutionalized in the World Cup."

BELGIUM vs IRAN

Starting XI's confirmed! pic.twitter.com/egBBjxV4yk

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) June 21, 2026

After helping Belgium rescue a point against Egypt off the bench, Romelu Lukaku starts in Los Angeles against Iran. Maxime de Cuyper and Alexis Saelemakers also get the nod in the playing.

Tonight's cast. #SelectedByPwC #BELIRA pic.twitter.com/rwWFEZoQgd

— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) June 21, 2026

Good evening and a warm welcome to NDTV Sports' live match center. Group G is wide open, and tonight Belgium and Iran lock horns at the Los Angeles Stadium in what is essentially a must-win clash. Belgium are tipped as favorites, but after being held by Egypt, they cannot afford another slip-up if they want a smooth passage to the Round of 32. Stay tuned for live updates, lineups, and all the action as it happens!