⚽ FIFA World Cup 2026 · Group G
Belgium
BEL
Full time
0-0
Iran
IRN
2026-06-21 · Los Angeles
The verdict“A 0-0 that forgot to be boring: a red card, a VAR-killed goal and two keepers auditioning for a highlight reel.”
The Performance Review
On paper, Belgium 0-0 Iran reads like a nap. On the pitch, it was a thriller wearing a goalless disguise. Taremi thought he had stolen it in the 11th minute with a slick free-kick routine, the kind of move you draw on a napkin and never expect to work, until VAR leaned in, squinted at an offside line and quietly deleted the whole party.
Then the 66th minute happened. Nathan Ngoy went for a straight red, Belgium dropped to ten, and Rudi Garcia's plan went from 'control the game' to 'survive the game' in one referee's gesture. The remaining half hour was Iran throwing everything forward and Belgium parking a very nervous bus in front of Courtois.
It finished scoreless, but do not let the scoreboard lie to you. Big saves at both ends, late chaos, a disallowed goal and a sending-off is a lot of entertainment for a match that technically produced nothing. Belgium drew 1-1 with Egypt, Iran drew 2-2 with New Zealand, and now both have a stalemate to overthink.
The VAR Tax
VAR clawed back Taremi's 11th-minute free-kick goal for offside, turning Iran's loudest moment into the day's quietest replay.
Who Got Burned
Belgium did, twice. First their attack: even with eleven men and the lion's share of possession, they could not crack Iran open, which is a tough look for a side packing this much talent. Then their discipline: Ngoy's straight red in the 66th minute turned a winnable game into a survival exercise and handed Iran a man advantage on a plate. The catch is Iran could not finish the meal either, dominating numbers for nearly half an hour and still walking away with zero, so nobody leaves this one with their reputation fully intact.
The Bright Side
The goalkeeping was genuinely worth the ticket. Courtois reminded everyone why he is still a wall, and Beiranvand matched him save for save at the other end. Iran's resilience after the disallowed goal, refusing to wilt and then pressing hard once Belgium went down to ten, was admirable, and the late drama gave a goalless draw a heartbeat most 3-0 wins never get.
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