WANA (Jun 22) – Iran’s national football team secured a valuable point in its second group-stage match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, holding Belgium to a goalless draw and keeping its hopes of advancing to the next round alive.

 

The match took place on Sunday night at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where Amir Ghalenoei’s side delivered a disciplined and organized performance against one of Europe’s strongest teams. Although Belgium controlled possession for much of the game, Iran’s compact defensive structure and the outstanding saves of Alireza Beiranvand prevented the Red Devils from finding the net.

 

Iran thought it had taken the lead in the 25th minute when Mehdi Taremi scored following a well-rehearsed set-piece move. However, after a VAR review, the goal was ruled out for a marginal offside decision.

Iran’s national football team. Social media / WANA News Agency

In the second half, Iran continued to threaten on counterattacks and set plays. The momentum shifted further in Iran’s favor in the 66th minute when Belgian defender Nathan Ngoy was shown a red card for fouling Taremi, forcing Belgium to play the remainder of the match with ten men.

 

Despite efforts from both sides to break the deadlock, neither team managed to score, and the game ended in a 0–0 draw.

 

Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand was named Man of the Match after producing several crucial saves and delivering a standout performance between the posts.

 

With this result, Iran heads into its next group-stage match with confidence and strong hopes of progressing further in the tournament.