Goalkeepers Alireza Beiranvand and Thibaut Courtois starred as Iran and Belgium played out a goalless draw in their Group-stage World Cup clash. Iran had a golden opportunity to secure victory after Belgium were reduced to 10 men in the 66th minute when defender Nathan Ngoy was sent off for fouling Mehdi Taremi, who was through on goal following a defensive error. However, Team Melli failed to capitalise on the numerical advantage.
Beiranvand produced seven saves to keep Belgium at bay, while Courtois was equally impressive, denying several Iranian chances. Taremi thought he had given Iran the lead in the first half, but his goal was ruled out for offside after a video review.
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Belgium controlled possession for much of the match but continued their struggles in front of goal. The Red Devils, who drew their opening game against Egypt, remain without a goal from open play in the tournament.
Iran, backed by strong support from the Iranian diaspora in Los Angeles, will be disappointed not to have defeated a side ranked 10th in the world. The team's World Cup preparations have been disrupted by travel restrictions and logistical challenges since arriving in the United States.
Belgium nearly snatched a late winner, but Beiranvand denied Maxim De Cuyper on multiple occasions. Veteran striker Romelu Lukaku started for Belgium and played 73 minutes, while winger Jeremy Doku missed the match due to illness. The result leaves both teams with two draws from two matches and plenty to do in their final group fixtures.
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