Belgian and Iranian Keepers Shine in Scoreless Stalemate
Photo: REUTERS
Belgium and IR Iran remain winless in the FIFA World Cup 2026 after a tactical goalless draw in Los Angeles.
The match transformed into a duel between world-class goalkeepers, as Alireza Beiranvand and Thibaut Courtois both delivered stellar performances to keep their clean sheets intact.
Red Devils manager Rudi Garcia gave Romelu Lukaku his first start for club or country since June 9 of last year. While Belgium dominated possession and peppered the box with crosses and cutbacks, they found no way past Iran’s disciplined backline.
Youri Tielemans forced an early save from Beiranvand with a stinging near-post drive, but that was the closest the favorites came during their period of early dominance.
Team Melli prioritized defensive resilience but remained dangerous on the counter-attack. Courtois kept Belgium level with a sharp, low save against a turning shot from Hossein Kanani following a long throw-in.
Iran nearly stunned the crowd in the 25th minute with a clever free-kick routine where Ehsan Hajisafi found Mehdi Taremi in the wall. Taremi finished low past Courtois, but officials nullified the goal because Taremi had strayed offside.
The second half featured a historic milestone as Alireza Jahanbakhsh substituted into the game to earn his 100th international cap. Iran nearly celebrated the occasion with a goal, but Courtois stood firm against a heavy Taremi volley.
Meanwhile, Beiranvand continued his heroics at the other end, producing two eye-catching low saves to deny Maxim De Cuyper.
The match shifted in the 66th minute when Nathan Ngoy miscontrolled a ball and pulled down Taremi to stop a breakaway.
The referee immediately dismissed the Belgian center-back with a red card. However, Amir Ghalenoei’s men failed to exploit the numerical advantage during the closing stages. The result leaves both Belgium and Iran with two points apiece after two group stage matches.
