Belgium 0-0 Iran: Beiranvand’s Seven Saves and a Ngoy Red Card Leave Red Devils Frustrated Again

Belgium dominated the ball, dominated the territory, and dominated absolutely nothing else. A red-hot Alireza Beiranvand produced a man-of-the-match display, Mehdi Taremi’s brilliant free-kick goal was chalked off by VAR, and Nathan Ngoy’s second-half red card turned a tense afternoon into a backs-against-the-wall survival job, as Belgium and Iran shared the points in a goalless Group G draw at Los Angeles Stadium.

Belgium vs Iran 0-0 Highlights — World Cup 2026 Group G

By the numbers, this should have been a one-sided rout. Belgium finished with 70% possession, strung together 622 passes, and racked up 23 shots. By the scoreboard, none of it mattered. Iran walked away with a deserved point, a man-of-the-match goalkeeping performance, and a result that leaves all three Group G fixtures so far ending in draws.

Match Summary:

Alireza Beiranvand Saves vs Belgium — A Goalkeeping Masterclass

If there was one man who decided this game, it was the Iranian. Beiranvand finished the afternoon with seven saves, the headline moment arriving early in the second half when he somehow threw out a hand to deny Maxim De Cuyper from point-blank range after a De Bruyne cutback had seemingly teed up a simple tap-in. Earlier, he’d already beaten away a sharp Youri Tielemans drive from close range. It was the kind of evening that turns a goalkeeper into the story.

His opposite number wasn’t exactly idle either. Thibaut Courtois was forced into smart stops of his own, getting down low to deny a Hossein Kanani shot off a long throw-in in the first half and reacting sharply to a powerful Taremi volley after the restart.

VAR Drama and Taremi’s Disallowed Goal

Iran’s best moment of the match arrived in the 25th minute, and for a few seconds, it looked like the breakthrough that would change everything. Ehsan Hajisafi’s clever free-kick routine found Mehdi Taremi tucked into the wall, and the striker spun and finished low past Courtois with real composure. The Los Angeles crowd, heavily pro-Iran, erupted — until VAR stepped in and ruled the goal out for offside, sparing Belgium a result that would have flipped the entire complexion of the match.

📺 Watch the full match highlights: Belgium vs Iran 0-0 — FIFA World Cup 2026 Official Highlights

Nathan Ngoy Red Card — Belgium’s Afternoon Unravels

The turning point arrived in the 66th minute, and it was entirely self-inflicted. Ngoy badly underhit a routine pass back toward Courtois, and as Taremi raced through onto the loose ball, the defender hauled him down to stop a clear goalscoring chance. The red card was automatic, and Belgium spent the final 25-plus minutes trying to reorganise with ten men against a side that, by that point, smelled blood.

Belgium’s Frustration Continues — Group G Outlook

Despite the overwhelming territorial dominance, Belgium simply couldn’t turn pressure into goals — managing just three shots on target from their 23 attempts. Head coach Rudi Garcia didn’t sugarcoat it afterwards: “We lacked efficiency up front… we hit the target, but we didn’t test the goalkeeper enough. Playing with ten men didn’t help either.” Romelu Lukaku, making his first start since June 9 of last year, echoed the frustration: “We created so many chances without scoring, and that’s frustrating. We play with too much emotion in key moments.”

The result leaves Belgium stuck on two points, still searching for its first win of the tournament after also drawing its opener. They’ll need at least a win against New Zealand in their final group game to guarantee safe passage. Iran, sitting on two points themselves after a 2-2 draw with New Zealand, will need at least a point against Egypt to keep their own knockout hopes alive. As Beiranvand put it afterwards: “I think it was a very exciting game. Both teams deserved to win.”

For full FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G results, Belgium and Iran match updates, and live coverage, visit fawanewss.co.uk. Full fixtures, group standings and squads at the official FIFA website.