Beiranvand Stars as Iran Holds Belgium to Scoreless Draw
Team Melli remains unbeaten at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a determined defensive performance and a brilliant display from Alireza Beiranvand against Belgium.
Iran played Belgium to a 0-0 draw at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, earning a valuable point against one of Group G’s strongest teams.
Goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand was the star of the match for Team Melli, making seven saves and denying Belgium several clear scoring chances throughout the game.
His best moment came early in the second half, when he made a remarkable one-handed save from close range to keep the match scoreless. He later came up big again in the final minutes to preserve the draw.
Iran also created dangerous moments of its own, including a well-worked set piece that ended with Mehdi Taremi putting the ball in the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside after video review.
Belgium went down to 10 men in the 66th minute when defender Nathan Ngoy received a straight red card after fouling Taremi to stop a potential breakaway scoring chance.
Despite the advantage, Iran could not find the winning goal, while Belgium continued to create chances and finished the match with heavy attacking pressure.
Head coach Amir Ghalenoei praised Beiranvand after the match, calling him one of the greatest goalkeepers in Iranian football history and saying he had one of his best days for the national team.
Alireza Jahanbakhsh said Iran felt it might have deserved more from the match, but emphasized the team’s spirit and performance under difficult conditions.
The result leaves Iran with two points from two matches after opening the tournament with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand.
Team Melli will now turn its attention to the final Group G match against Egypt in Seattle, with a chance to reach the World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the country’s history.