Los Angeles, United States – Sports Desk: Iran’s veteran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand produced a masterclass performance to secure a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Belgium in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group Stage clash at the Rose Bowl Stadium on Monday .
The 33-year-old shot-stopper made several spectacular saves throughout the match, denying Belgium’s attacking lineup time and again .
First Half Saves
In the first half, Beiranvand denied Youri Tielemans’ dangerous effort with a sharp reflex save, keeping the score level going into the break .
Second Half Heroics
Minutes into the second half, the Iranian goalkeeper pulled off arguably the save of the tournament, tipping Maxim De Cuyper’s certain goal over the bar to keep Iran in the match .
Red Card for Belgium
Belgium suffered a major setback in the 66th minute when 23-year-old defender Nathan Ngoy was shown a straight red card for a professional foul on Mehdi Taremi . Ngoy became the youngest player to receive a red card at a World Cup since 2014 .
Goal Disallowed
Iran thought they had taken the lead in the 25th minute when Mehdi Taremi found the net from a well-worked free-kick, but after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was ruled out for offside .
Group Stage Implications
With this result, the 2018 World Cup semi-finalists Belgium have now drawn their first two group matches, putting their qualification hopes in serious jeopardy .
Iran, meanwhile, have achieved a historic milestone—surviving their opening two World Cup matches without defeat for the first time in their history, significantly boosting their chances of reaching the knockout stage .
