World Cup 2026: Ngoy's Red Card Could Hasten Debast's Return

There's a glimmer of hope that Zeno Debast could feature for Belgium in their final World Cup group stage match.

A spot has opened up in the Red Devils' central defense following Ngoy's red card in the 66th minute of their draw against Iran. The number 25 defender was sent off after a misjudged back-pass to Courtois led him to foul Mehdi Taremi, who was poised to go one-on-one with the Belgian goalkeeper.

It's worth remembering that the Sporting center-back suffered a muscle injury late in the season – on the eve of their May 11th clash with Rio Ave. Despite an initial six-week recovery timeline, he was still included in Rudi Garcia's World Cup squad.

Debast rejoined team training before the Iran match and traveled with the squad to the stadium, though he wasn't listed on the team sheet. Now, given the circumstances, the central defender has until Saturday to prove to the national coach that he's fit enough to fill the void in central defense for the upcoming game against New Zealand.