World Cup History! For the first time in the 21st century, Iran has become…
Iran etched their name in World Cup history and provided a resolute defensive display as they battled to a goalless draw against Belgium in Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday (local time).The Iranian starting XI set a remarkable record, becoming the oldest team to start a World Cup match since 1966 with an average age of 32 years and 181 days. The experienced side used that maturity to good effect, absorbing the Belgian’s persistent pressure and frustrating one of Europe’s top teams throughout the competition. Belgium went into the match looking to get their first win of the tournament and controlled most of the possession from the start. Maxim De Cuyper produced an early long-range strike that tested goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, but the Iranian shot-stopper was equal to the task.Iran almost shocked Belgium midway through the first half when Mehdi Taremi found the net after a clever free-kick routine. The celebrations were cut short, however, as a VAR review ruled the striker almost off.The Belgians continued to push forward and created several openings before the interval. However, Beiranvand remained unbeaten, making several crucial saves to ensure the scores remained level at the break.A major change came in the 66th minute when Belgium were reduced to 10 men. Nathan Ngoy received a straight red card after bringing down Taremi, who broke after a defensive error and finished in the goal. The sending off is the eighth red card shown at the 2026 World Cup.With a numerical advantage, Iran became more adventurous in attack and introduced fresh options from the bench in an attempt to find a late winner. Despite pressing and creating opportunities in the closing stages, they were unable to make the breakthrough.Belgium’s onslaught of failures continued throughout the match. The European side finished with 23 shots without finding the net, their highest tally in a World Cup game without scoring since 1994. According to Opta, Belgium have now attempted 69 shots in the World Cup finals since a Belgian player last scored a goal.The tie left Group G well balanced after two rounds of matches. Iran sits at the top of the standings with two points, with Belgium level on points in second place. New Zealand and Egypt were also in tight contention, both collecting one point each.
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