Iran holds Belgium to 0-0 draw at World Cup as crypto exchange Kraken makes FIFA debut

Iran walked into SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California as heavy underdogs against Belgium. They walked out with a point, an unbeaten record, and a very real shot at the knockout stage.

The Group G match on June 21 ended 0-0 in front of 70,317 fans, a result that reshapes the entire group heading into the final matchday. Iran now sits on two points, level with Belgium, and faces Egypt on June 26 in what amounts to a play-in game for the next round.

How Iran frustrated Belgium for 90 minutes

Belgium came into this match as the clear favorite, with prediction markets on Polymarket pricing their win probability at roughly 69.5% before kickoff.

Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand produced a string of crucial saves that kept Belgium off the scoresheet. Then Belgium made things harder on themselves. Nathan Ngoy received a red card in the 66th minute, forcing the Belgians to play the final quarter of the match with ten men.

Group G is now wide open

The standings after two rounds of matches tell a clear story. Egypt lead Group G with four points. Iran and Belgium are tied on two points each.

For Iran, the math is straightforward. A win against Egypt on June 26 would almost certainly guarantee a spot in the knockout stage.

Egypt’s position at the top with four points gives them the most comfortable seat at the table. But a loss to Iran, combined with a Belgium win in their final match, could create a three-way logjam that comes down to goal difference and tiebreakers.

Kraken’s FIFA partnership puts crypto courtside

Kraken is serving as FIFA’s first official crypto exchange partner, and the Belgium-Iran draw marked one of the early showcases of that deal in action.

Neither Iran nor Belgium currently have notable fan token offerings tied to their national teams, indicating a gap for potential future engagement in the crypto and sports sponsorship landscape.

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