Belgium’s World Cup start slammed by foreign media after Iran stalemate

The Belgian national team’s World Cup campaign got off to a stuttering start as foreign media roundly criticised their sluggish display against Iran. Belgium, managed by Rudi Garcia, were held to a 0-0 draw by Iran in their second group match, following an opening stalemate with Egypt. French newspaper L’Equipe described the Red Devils as "borrowed and impatient," highlighting a lack of rhythm across the squad. Romelu Lukaku came in for particular scrutiny from L’Equipe, with the striker criticised for his poor touch, decision-making and overall contribution. The paper noted that Lukaku "was unable to make a lasting impact" and suggested his best role may be as a late substitute when freshness can compensate for his declining power. The BBC echoed similar frustrations, stating that Belgium were "ineffective" and suffered from "too much confidence in their attacking variety." The broadcaster added that without Thibaut Courtois, the side would likely have lost to Iran, underlining the goalkeeper’s importance.

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Former France international Patrick Vieira, now a pundit for ITV, bluntly stated that Belgium’s two star players, Kevin De Bruyne and Lukaku, were not at their best. Vieira said: "The biggest problem for Belgium is that their two best players are not in top form. You can see their lack of rhythm. Lukaku’s ball control and combinations were really poor today." Roy Keane, former Manchester United midfielder and ITV analyst, was even more damning of Lukaku, calling his performance "rubbish" and "really bad." Keane added: "In terms of quality of play, I found him null. The level in terms of passing, movement and decision-making was really mediocre."

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Italy’s dello Sport joined the chorus, highlighting Belgium’s lack of ideas in attack. The paper wrote that Belgium "waited in vain for De Bruyne’s pass," while their attacks repeatedly faltered against Iran’s disciplined defence. The frustration boiled over when Lukaku, still recovering from injury, nearly caught Iran’s goalkeeper with a reckless challenge early in the match. The also took aim at head coach Rudi Garcia, who previously managed Roma. The paper concluded: "Poor Rudi, it’s hard to put out the fire under the pressure cooker of his Belgium side."