Belgium’s women’s national team, the Red Flames, discover themselves once again searching for answers after another goalless draw against Scotland in World Cup qualifying. Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, the Flames failed to convert their opportunities into goals, extending a frustrating pattern that has left both players and coaches puzzled.
The match, played on April 18, 2026, at Den Dreef in Leuven, saw Belgium register 28 shots without finding the back of the net. Scotland, while less prolific in attack, likewise failed to score, resulting in a 0-0 stalemate that left both teams with eight points in the qualifying group.
“We created gorgeous chances to score and ultimately we did everything we could,” said head coach Elisabet Gunnarsdottir after the match. “There were some technical errors, but that’s part of football. Scotland is a strong team, they also had chances. But I think we did excellently on the defensive side.”
The result leaves Scotland atop the group due to a superior goal difference (+12 compared to Belgium’s +8), though both teams have already secured qualification for the next round. Belgium will conclude the first phase of their qualifying campaign with a double-header against Luxembourg on June 5 and 9, 2026.
Gunnarsdottir expressed particular satisfaction with her team’s defensive performance against Scotland’s Erin Cuthbert, whom she described as “a world-class midfielder who can be dangerous for everyone.” The coach noted that her team successfully contained Cuthbert’s threat, especially during transitional play.
Despite the frustration of not scoring, the coach remained confident about future prospects. “We will especially need to deliver a good performance and then we will score. I am 100 percent convinced that we will do that,” Gunnarsdottir stated.
The Red Flames, ranked 18th in the world, continue to possess one of international football’s most prolific scorers in Tessa Wullaert, who has 101 international goals to her name. Yet the team has struggled to find consistency in front of goal during this qualifying campaign.
This latest result follows a 1-1 draw in Edinburgh earlier in the campaign, which Gunnarsdottir noted was a clear contrast to the improved performance in Leuven. “This is a big difference from the Friday match. The performance was clearly better,” she said.
For Scotland, the result extends their unbeaten run against Belgium to two matches, though head coach Melissa Andreatta admitted to frustration at leaving with only one point instead of three. Scotland sits atop the group but recognizes the need to convert draws into wins to secure top seeding.
The Red Flames’ attacking struggles have develop into a talking point throughout the qualifying campaign, with players and coaches acknowledging the issue while unable to pinpoint a clear explanation. As one player position it in recent comments: “We are aware of it and we talk about it, but we see no clear explanation.”
Looking ahead, Belgium’s focus shifts to the Luxembourg double-header, where they will aim to finish the first phase of qualifying strongly before turning attention to the next stage of their World Cup journey.
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