⚽
Two colossal goalkeepers turned this stalemate into a breathtaking exhibition of shot-stopping brilliance — yet neither side could find the breakthrough that might have transformed their entire World Cup trajectory! Belgium and IR Iran remain locked in a desperate search for their first victory at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ after a goalless draw in Los Angeles that was anything but dull. This was a contest defined by two magnificent last lines of defence: Alireza Beiranvand produced a string of terrific saves for Iran, while Thibaut Courtois matched him save for breathtaking save at the other end. Rudi Garcia's Red Devils monopolised possession but were reduced to ten men when centre-back Nathan Ngoy received his marching orders, compounding the frustration of a night that promised much and delivered little. Romelu Lukaku's return to the starting lineup — his first start for club or country since 9 June of the previous year — had raised hopes of a Belgian breakthrough, yet for all their crosses, cutbacks, and territorial dominance, the closest they came to an early goal was a fierce near-post drive from Youri Tielemans that Beiranvand beat away with authority. Iran sat deep and defended with extraordinary resilience, combining Beiranvand's heroics with desperate blocks. They carved out the more threatening first-half opportunities: Courtois did magnificently to deny Hossein Kanani's acrobatic effort from a long throw, and after 25 minutes, Team Melli thought they had struck gold with an ingeniously worked free-kick — Ehsan Hajisafi sliding the ball through to Mehdi Taremi in the wall, who fired low past Courtois, only for offside to cruelly intervene. After the interval, Alireza Jahanbakhsh earned his 100th cap and Iran tested Courtois again through a thumping Taremi volley. At the opposite end, Beiranvand produced two stunning low saves to thwart Maxim De Cuyper. Ngoy's 66th-minute red card — his miscontrol allowing Taremi to pounce before the centre-back hauled him down — should have given Iran the advantage, but Amir Ghalenoei's men could not capitalise on the extra man. Both sides now sit on two points from two matches, their World Cup futures hanging by a thread. Courtois equalled Enzo Scifo's Belgian record of 17 World Cup appearances, while Beiranvand earned the Superior Player of the Match award — small consolation for two teams running out of time.
