- Belgium drew Iran 0-0 in a tense World Cup match.
- VAR disallowed Iran’s goal by Taremi due to offside.
- Ngoy’s red card reduced Belgium to ten men.
FIFA World Cup Belgium vs Iran: Belgium’s FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign remains delicately poised after a frustrating goalless draw against Iran in Los Angeles. Despite boasting a lineup packed with established stars, the Red Devils failed to break down a determined Iranian side and were fortunate to leave with a point after a difficult evening. The result leaves Group G finely balanced, with all three matches played in the group so far ending level. While Belgium dominated possession for long stretches, Iran created several of the clearest opportunities and came close to pulling off a memorable victory.
VAR Denies Iran As Taremi Threatens
Iran entered the contest as underdogs but looked far from overawed against their illustrious opponents. Their defensive organisation frustrated Belgium throughout the match, while their counter-attacking play repeatedly caused problems.
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The closest either side came to scoring in the opening half arrived when Mehdi Taremi found the net following a cleverly worked free-kick routine. Iranian celebrations, however, were cut short after a VAR review determined that the striker had strayed offside in the build-up.
It proved to be a huge let-off for Belgium, who struggled to create meaningful openings despite enjoying the majority of possession. Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku were unable to inspire the attacking spark many expected, while Iran continued to look dangerous whenever they advanced into the final third.
Red Card Drama Leaves Belgium Hanging On
The match swung further in Iran’s favour after the interval when Belgium were reduced to ten men.
Defender Nathan Ngoy made a costly error with an underhit backpass that left Taremi racing through on goal. In a desperate attempt to stop the Iranian forward, Ngoy made contact and was shown a straight red card, leaving Belgium with a mountain to climb for the remainder of the contest.
With a numerical advantage, Iran pushed for a breakthrough and looked the more likely side to find a winner. However, Belgium’s defence held firm under pressure and managed to preserve a valuable point.
Group G Still Wide Open
The draw means Belgium move onto two points and remain firmly in contention for a place in the knockout rounds. They will now turn their attention to a final group-stage clash against New Zealand, currently the lowest-ranked team in the tournament.
Iran also have everything to play for heading into their last fixture against Egypt. A positive result could still be enough to send them through to the next phase.
With all three Group G matches ending in draws so far, qualification remains completely up for grabs heading into the decisive final round of fixtures.
Before You Go
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