“Belgium stumbled to a 0-0 draw with Iran at SoFi Stadium on Sunday in a game that featured both a red card and perhaps the best save of the 2026 World Cup thus far. Belgium, the most talented team in Group G on paper, couldn’t unlock a resistant Iranian defense, and then had to survive the last 25 minutes of the match with 10 men after defender Nathan Ngoy was sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. The atmosphere at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles was festive, much less political than the scene surrounding Iran’s World Cup opener. And thousands of Iranian American fans cheered as their team earned an unexpected point. …”
NYT/ATH (Video)
YouTube: Belgium vs Iran Extended Highlights 🌎🏆 2026 FIFA World Cup
Iran holds Belgium to a 0-0 draw: Has the USA’s World Cup pathway just got easier?
Leave a reply
“He’s frustrated, but he’s keeping in his anger. Abdoulaye—the pseudonym of a well-known Senegalese journalist who spoke to us—just doesn’t know if he’ll be able to cover his country’s match against Iraq, scheduled to take place in Toronto on June 26 as part of the upcoming football World Cup. Known as the Lions of Teranga—Senegal’s national team, named for the Wolof concept of hospitality—the squad is in Group I alongside France and Norway, who they’ll face at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on June 16 and 22. Accredited by FIFA and with the necessary visas in hand, Abdoulaye sums up his dilemma. …”
“Omar Artan was already a hero before he came back to Somalia this week after being denied entry to the United States for the World Cup. Long before the controversy, he had become a household name in the country. As one former sports official told me, a warm welcome was guaranteed whenever he eventually returned to Mogadishu. But the decision by US immigration authorities to turn him away transformed the meaning of his homecoming. Somali journalists had spent the morning waiting for his flight from Istanbul to land. On the tarmac, a delegation of senior government officials waited patiently alongside us, flags in hand and many already cheering. Anticipating that he might return disappointed and disheartened, preparations had been made to roll out the red carpet and turn what could have been seen as a setback into a triumph. Participating in the World Cup, he said in a rare 2018 interview, had always been his dream. …”
“Michael Olise is probably the best creative player in the world at the moment. He racked up 26 assists for Bayern Munich last season. It was his shift into a more central role that transformed 
“Germany do not have a formidable World Cup reputation for nothing. The four-time winners were wobbling badly against a disciplined and polished Ivory Coast, trailing 1-0 to Franck Kessie’s goal and looking ragged. Enter Deniz Undav. The Stuttgart striker plundered two second-half goals, including a stoppage-time winner, to earn his side a place in the last 32. Here, The Athletic analyses the major talking points. …”
“Netherlands’ 5-1 thrashing of Sweden in Houston was the most tactically interesting contest of the World Cup so far; a perfect demonstration of how formations and shapes can dictate the flow of matches. Sweden’s strike partnership of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres worked effectively in their win over Tunisia — also a 5-1 scoreline — including assisting one another for goals. But in truth, they’ve rarely looked like an effective partnership for Sweden over the years. Although at times they combine well, it’s rare to see top-level international sides use two proper No 9s together, for good reason — the other eight outfielders are invariably overrun. Saturday’s game was a prime example. …”
Scissors Kick 