Iran and 10-man Belgium draw 0-0 to leave both sides on two points
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Iran drew 0-0 with 10-man Belgium as World Cup Group G became even tighter on Sunday.
The Red Devils had defender Nathan Ngoy sent off for a last-man foul on Iran's Mehdi Taremi following a woeful back-pass on 66 minutes, but a stalemate remained and set up two crucial group finales.
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Iran earlier thought they had taken the lead following a clever free-kick routine, but Taremi was deemed to be offside after a long video review.
Thibaut Courtois was also forced into two smart stops but otherwise Belgium dominated possession and chances, although they could not break through as Iran's defence put their bodies on the line.
In Belgium's 1-1 opener with Egypt, forward Romelu Lukaku had helped force the equalizer 22 seconds after climbing off the bench.
He was rewarded by Rudi Garcia with a start against Iran, his first for club Napoli or country since June last year following an injury-ravaged season.
But the 33-year-old and his fellow remaining veterans from the "Golden Generation" - who finished third in 2018 - looked short of ideas and need a win against New Zealand in the decider on Friday.
Lukaku told Sporza: "We had plenty of chances, but the ball just wouldn’t go in. We need to analyse this match. We played with too much emotion. I’m pleased that I was able to play for over an hour, but of course not with the result. We have to win the next match."
Belgium winger Jérémy Doku missed out through illness and may leave the camp at some point if his partner goes into labour.
Group of draws
Iran started the tournament with a 2-2 draw with New Zealand - in the same stadium in Inglewood, Los Angeles County.
For these two games, Iran had to travel from their Mexico base to the US less than a day before the game. For the group decider against Egypt in Seattle on Friday, they have been given more leeway.
Iran's participation in the World Cup was shrouded in uncertainty in the build-up due to the war between the country and co-host the US.
A deal to end the conflict has eased tensions slightly, but they expected to have to go straight back to Mexico after the Belgium game and several officials have never received US visas.
There were boos for the Iranian national anthem from sections of the stadium used by NFL teams the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.
The largest Iranian diaspora is present in southern California, many of whom are opposed to the government in the Islamic Republic, which heavily cracked down on opposition at home earlier this year.
The former Iranian flag before the 1979 Islamic revolution was again spotted in the stadium as well a "Free Iran" banner.
Iranian officials had said the team would walk off the pitch in such cases, but just like the first match, the players stuck to football.
Before kick-off, Iran said claims from Markwayne Mullin, the US homeland security secretary, that a person with ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) tried to join the flight to the US on Saturday were "fabricated and entirely baseless allegations."
Iran's Ramin Rezaeian and Belgium's Leandro Trossard battle for the ball during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G soccer match between Belgium and Iran at the Los Angeles Stadium. Dirk Waem/Belga/dpaBelgium's Kevin De Bruyne and Iran's Shojae Khalilzadeh battle for the ball during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group G soccer match between Belgium and Iran at the Los Angeles Stadium. Dirk Waem/Belga/dpa