Belgium 0-0 Iran: Beiranvand brilliance and Courtois saves keep Group G on knife edge
A second successive World Cup draw leaves Belgium's golden generation facing early exit fears as Iran's Beiranvand repels wave after wave of Red Devils attacks in Los Angeles.
Profligate Belgium fail to break down stubborn Iran
Belgium again struggled to convert possession into goals, managing a second consecutive draw after their 1-1 against Egypt. Coach Rudi Garcia made five changes, reinstating Romelu Lukaku in attack, but the Red Devils lacked their main spark with Jérémy Doku absent (respiratory infection). Kevin De Bruyne, so often the creative force, was unable to unlock a compact Iranian defence, while Lukaku extended his goalless World Cup run to seven matches. An early aerial challenge saw his knee strike goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand in the neck, earning a yellow card, and the statistics underline the malaise: according to RTVE, Belgium have now attempted 46 shots at consecutive World Cups since Michy Batshuayi's goal against Canada in 2022 without scoring, registering 5.66 expected goals in that span.
Goalkeepers take centre stage
Both goalkeepers produced match-defining saves. Thibaut Courtois was alert early, denying Hossein Kanaani's close-range shot (14') and later stretching to stop Mehdi Taremi from point-blank range (53'). In between, Iran thought they had taken the lead when Taremi finished a rehearsed free-kick routine, only for VAR to disallow the goal for a tight offside (24'). Beiranvand responded with an acrobatic one-handed save from Maxim De Cuyper on the hour mark, a stop widely hailed as one of the tournament's finest.
- Courtois saves Kanaani's close-range shot (14')
- Taremi goal disallowed for offside after VAR review (24')
- Courtois denies Taremi from point-blank range (53')
- Beiranvand's one-handed save from De Cuyper (60')
- Ngoy red card for foul on Taremi (66')
Ngoy's error leaves Belgium a man down
A calamitous back-pass by central defender Ngoy forced him to haul down Taremi as the striker bore down on goal, earning a straight red card (66'). Down to ten men, Belgium's push for a winner was blunted. Substitute Dodi Lukebakio dragged a late left-footed shot wide, and the match ended in a stalemate that felt fair to both sides.
Political shadow over Iran's campaign
Iran's tournament takes place under extraordinary political constraints. The US administration under Donald Trump granted the Iranian delegation express visas but confined them to Tijuana, Mexico, permitting only 24-hour stays on American soil for matches. Ahead of the game, Hedayat Mombeini, general secretary of the Iranian football federation, said:
Despite the off-field turmoil, Amir Ghalenoei's team has shown resilience and now has a genuine chance of reaching the knockout stage for the first time.This is a dark point in the history of the World Cups.
Group G still wide open
With two draws apiece, Belgium and Iran both sit on two points, while New Zealand and Egypt have one point each before their meeting on Monday. Belgium face New Zealand in the final round, and Iran take on Egypt, with all four sides still able to advance to the last 32.
- Belgium
- 2
- Iran
- 2
- New Zealand
- 1
- Egypt
- 1
