Iran etched their name in World Cup history with a defensive display as they fought back against Belgium in Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday (local time).Iran’s starting XI made a remarkable record, becoming the oldest team to start a World Cup match since 1966 at 32 years and 181 days. The experienced team put that maturity to good use, absorbing Belgian pressure and frustrating one of Europe’s top teams throughout the tournament. Belgium went into the game looking for their first win of the tournament and dominated possession from the start. Maxim De Cuyper fired an early shot that tested goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, but the Iranian striker was equal to the task.Iran almost stunned Belgium midway through the first half when Mehdi Taremi found the back of the net after a brilliant free kick. The celebrations were cut short, however, as a VAR review ruled that the player was close.The Belgians continued to push forward and create more chances early on. However, Beiranvand remained unbeaten, making several crucial saves to ensure they stayed up at the break.The biggest change came in the 66th minute when Belgium were reduced to 10 men. Nathan Ngoy received a straight red card for bringing down Taremi, who was clear after a defensive error and scored the goal. The sending off was the eighth red card shown at the 2026 World Cup.With a numerical advantage, Iran were more interested in attacking and introducing new options from the bench in an attempt to find a late winner. Although they pressed and created chances at the end, they could not win.Belgium’s frustrations continued throughout the match. The European side finished with 23 shots without finding the net, their highest number of World Cup matches without scoring since 1994. According to Opta, Belgium have now attempted 69 shots in the World Cup final since a Belgian player scored.The stalemate leaves Group G trailing after two games. Iran is top of the standings on two points, while Belgium is in danger in second place. New Zealand and Egypt are also very competitive, both have collected one point.
