LOS ANGELES, United States — A combination of heroics from goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand and a red card left a frustrated Belgian side settling for a dramatic 0-0 draw against Iran at the SoFi Stadium, keeping Group G completely wide open.
The high-stakes encounter on Sunday night, June 21, 2026, extended a bizarre tactical pattern in the group, where every single match played so far has ended in a stalemate.
Okay News sports reports that the geopolitical tension surrounding Iran’s presence at the tournament manifested early as their national anthem was loudly booed by sections of the crowd. When the football commenced, Iran thought they had secured a shock lead in the 25th minute through a predatory strike by Mehdi Taremi, but a lengthy VAR review ultimately chalked the goal off for offside and technical encroachment. From there, it became the Beiranvand show, as the Iranian shot-stopper produced the game of his life—most notably pulling off a spectacular wonder save from point-blank range to deny Maxim De Cuyper following a brilliant setup by Kevin De Bruyne.
Belgium’s frontline woes intensified in the 67th minute when defender Nathan Ngoy was shown a straight red card for dragging down Taremi as the last man, completely shifting the tactical momentum in Los Angeles. Realising the danger of another premature group-stage exit, Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco subbed off Romelu Lukaku for Arthur Theate to sit deep and protect the solitary point. Iran applied heavy pressure in the closing stages, forcing Thibaut Courtois into several fine saves, though Belgium nearly snatched a winner in stoppage time when Dodi Lukebakio’s curling effort missed the top corner by inches. With both nations locked on two points from two games, their knockout fates will be decided in a must-win final group matchday.
