Belgium 0-0 Iran: Alireza Beiranvand produce one of the saves of the tournament to deny Maxim De Cuyper

A lucifer that promised truthful overmuch delivered precise small successful the last ledger, arsenic Belgium and Iran played retired a tense, absorbing goalless gully astatine SoFi Stadium successful Los Angeles, a effect that leaves some nations inactive searching for their archetypal triumph astatine the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

It was a crippled defined not by goals, but by the moments that surrounded them. A disallowed onslaught of jaw-dropping quality, a dismissal of stunning recklessness and astir 29 minutes of siege shot that Iran yet could not convert.

This was the benignant of 0-0 that volition linger agelong successful the memory, adjacent if neither broadside volition consciousness peculiarly satisfied with their stock of the spoils.

Belgium 0-0 Iran: Taremi denied by VAR

The match's astir talked-about infinitesimal arrived arsenic aboriginal arsenic the 11th minute, and it ne'er really counted. 

Iran striker Mehdi Taremi, exploiting a brilliantly disguised free-kick regular orchestrated by Ehsan Hajsafi, who faked the changeable earlier threading a walk done the bosom of the Belgian wall, placed his decorativeness coolly past Thibaut Courtois. 

The seasoned striker was penalised for being offside and for encroachment, denying what would person been 1 of the much jaw-dropping goals of the tournament.

It was a gut-punch for Amir Ghalenoei's side, and 1 which, with the payment of hindsight, whitethorn yet beryllium decisive successful however this radical unfolds.

Belgium 0-0 Iran: Ngoy's infinitesimal of madness

Belgium had been the much ascendant broadside for overmuch of the contest, with Kevin De Bruyne directing postulation and Romelu Lukaku, who was handed a starting berth by caput manager Rudi Garcia aft his captious engagement successful Belgium's equaliser against Egypt starring the enactment with his customary physicality, but the complexion of the crippled changed irrevocably successful the 66th minute.

Nathan Ngoy made a mediocre interaction which allowed Taremi to pounce connected the error, and the Belgian defender brought him down to person a consecutive reddish paper from referee Darío Herrera - dismissed for denying a wide goalscoring accidental arsenic the past man. 

It was an enactment of carelessness that the Red Devils could simply not spend astatine this signifier of the tournament.

From that infinitesimal on, the crippled resembled a wholly antithetic contention - Belgium camped wrong their ain antiaircraft 3rd arsenic Iran pushed and probed for openings crossed the remaining astir 29 minutes. 

Iran pressed, creating chances but Courtois erstwhile called upon was imperious - the world-class goalkeeper earned his keep, and Belgium held on.

Belgium 0-0 Iran: The goalkeepers bargain the show

Alireza Beiranvand was the standout performer successful a goalless gully that owed everything to 2 world-class goalkeepers. 

While Thibaut Courtois produced respective important saves for Belgium, including a full-stretch halt to contradict Hossein Kanani, a absorption prevention from Mehdi Taremi's volley, and a beardown parry to support retired Saeid Ezatolahi’s long-range effort, Beiranvand yet stole the spotlight with a man-of-the-match show that preserved Iran’s cleanable sheet.

The Iranian goalkeeper made a drawstring of outstanding interventions passim the contest, denying Youri Tielemans with a crisp reflex save, keeping retired a unsafe Kevin De Bruyne effort, and repeatedly frustrating Belgium’s attack. 

His defining infinitesimal came successful the 85th infinitesimal erstwhile helium someway clawed distant Maxim De Cuyper’s close-range effort from conscionable 3 yards retired aft superb enactment by De Bruyne. 

The singular halt capped an exceptional show from Beiranvand, whose heroics ensured Iran near Los Angeles with a invaluable constituent contempt Courtois’ excellence astatine the different end.

2026 World Cup: A tourney moving red

Ngoy's dismissal adds to what is already a singular disciplinary grounds astatine this tournament.

After conscionable 28 matches, the 2026 World Cup had already produced six reddish cards, 2 much than the combined full recorded astatine the 2018 and 2022 World Cups combined. 

Those six dismissals had been dispersed crossed South Africa's Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane, Mexico's Cesar Montes, Bosnia and Herzegovina's Tarik Muharemovic, and Qatar's Homam Ahmed and Assim Madibo.

With Ngoy's reddish card, the tally rises to 7 dismissals successful 39 matches and the tourney is not yet done the radical stage. 

The all-time grounds of 28 reddish cards acceptable astatine Germany 2006 inactive stands, but the gait of dismissals astatine this variation suggests it could beryllium nether menace by the last whistle successful July.

What happens next?

Group G remains 1 of the astir evenly balanced successful the tournament, each 4 teams - Belgium, Iran, Egypt and New Zealand began matchday 2 connected 1 constituent each, making this brushwood successful Los Angeles, for each intents and purposes, an aboriginal radical last and 2 points apiece from 2 matches, however, settles little.

Belgium, who drew 1-1 with Egypt successful their opener, present look New Zealand successful their last radical lucifer knowing that lone a triumph volition beryllium sufficient. 

Even then, a decision to New Zealand could permission them monitoring results from different groups and hoping 2 points proves capable to beryllium 1 of the 8 champion third-place teams successful the expanded tournament.

Iran, meanwhile, look Egypt successful what present has the consciousness of a knockout match, a triumph would enactment Ghalenoei's broadside successful premier presumption to advance; a decision volition besides person them looking astatine the results elsewhere.

The last circular of Group G fixtures volition beryllium decisive, successful a radical wherever nary squad has yet won a match, everything remains to play for.