Belgium Held by Iran in Tense World Cup Stalemate

Belgium and Iran played out a goalless draw in their Group G encounter at the Los Angeles Stadium in California.

It was the second consecutive draw in the tournament for both teams that left Group G deadlocked.

Despite a late red card for Belgium, Iran could not find a breakthrough. Iran had a goal disallowed earlier in the first half by VAR.i

In the 67th minute.Belgian center-back Nathan Ngoy pulled down the Iranian captain Medi Tarimi.

The referee had no choice but to brandish a straight red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, leaving Belgium down to 10 players.

Despite the numerical advantage for the final 20+ minutes, Iran could not bypass a resolute Belgian defense anchored by Courtois, leaving both teams to share the points.

Player of the Match : Alireza Beiranvand ( Iran)

You voted Alireza Beiranvand Superior Player of the Match! ⚽

#FIFAWorldCup #SuperiorPOTM pic.twitter.com/aDWCw15Fhs

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 21, 2026

After the match Alireza Beiranvandi, Iran goalkeeper said,"The game was very tough. After all, the Belgian team is one of the best in the world. They put incredible pressure on us, especially in the first half. After they went down to ten men, Belgium sat back a bit more. They were looking to intercept a pass from us and were looking for our mistakes to launch a counterattack. We could have won the game if we'd had more focus, but you all saw it – hats off to all the players who played today. They played with their hearts."