Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Roy Keane criticise Belgium's weak display at World Cup

Belgium’s World Cup campaign came under heavy fire after a second consecutive stalemate. The Red Devils failed to break down Iran in a 0-0 draw on Sunday evening, a result that drew sharp criticism from global analysts. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was scathing in his assessment on FOX Sports. "In the first half I nearly fell asleep. In the second half I really did sleep," he said. "They had the ball but did nothing with it. You need players who take responsibility and create something when a game is stuck." The absence of Jérémy Doku was noted by Ibrahimovic. "I didn’t see that. If they think they’ll qualify because of the names on their shirts, they’re mistaken. That has to be earned," the former Sweden striker added. Roy Keane, former Manchester United midfielder, branded Belgium’s performance "really poor" on ITV Sports. "When players miss shots from three or four metres out, what chance do you have?" "De Cuyper’s miss summed up their effort perfectly. There was no conviction in the finish, or indeed in their overall play. The players lacked focus and made too many simple errors. I was really disappointed in them," the 54-year-old Irishman said.

Belgium coach Crasson slams poor World Cup 2026 display against Iran

Jamie Carragher, ex-Liverpool player and analyst, joined the chorus of criticism. "I have to be honest: this is exactly the problem with that so-called ‘golden generation.’ For years Belgium have been talked about as contenders, but performances like this show why they’ve never truly delivered at the highest level." "Looking at the quality in this squad, there’s no excuse not to win this game. None at all," he continued. The gap in squad market values between the two nations is €516 million (Belgium: €548m, Iran: €32m). Carragher added: "That’s the frustrating part. On paper they should win these games early, but instead they make everything slow, predictable and easy to defend."

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The criticism arrives at a critical moment. Belgium have one final group game against New Zealand to restore confidence, but doubts are already growing after two unconvincing displays. It’s not just the results that are concerning—it’s the manner of the performances. The Red Devils appear overly reliant on individual inspiration, which is currently absent, and lack clear automatisms in possession. Against Iran they showed control without conviction. A strong response is needed against New Zealand or another World Cup disappointment looms.