World Cup history! For the first time in the 21st century, Iran became…

Iran’s Mehdi Taremi (left) and Belgium’s Thomas Meunier battle for the ball (AP Photo) Iran etched their name into World Cup history with a resolute defensive display as they battled Belgium in Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at the Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday (local time).Iran’s starting XI set a remarkable record by 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 sustained Belgian pressure and frustrating one of Europe’s best teams throughout the competition. Belgium entered the match looking to secure their first win of the tournament and dominated most of the possession from the start. Maxim De Cuyper produced an early strike from distance that tested goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, but the Iranian striker was up to the task.Iran almost stunned Belgium midway through the first half when Mehdi Taremi found the net after a clever free-kick. However, the celebrations were cut short as a VAR review ruled the striker was narrowly offside.The Belgians continued to press forward and created a number of openings before the break. Nevertheless, Beiranvand remained unbeaten and made several important saves to keep the score even at the break.The big turnaround came in the 66th minute when Belgium were reduced to 10 men. Nathan Ngoy was shown a straight red card after bringing down Taremi, who got to safety after a defensive error and shot through the goal. The dismissal was the eighth red card handed out at the 2026 World Cup.With a numerical advantage, Iran became increasingly adventurous in attack, introducing new options from the bench in an attempt to find a late winner. Despite applying pressure and creating chances in the closing stages, they failed to break through.Belgium’s attacking frustration continued throughout the match. The European side finished with 23 shots without finding the net, their highest number of clean sheets in World Cup matches since 1994. According to Opta, Belgium have now attempted 69 shots in a World Cup final since a Belgian player last scored.The stalemate leaves Group G finely balanced after two rounds of matches. Iran is in first place with two points and Belgium in second place. New Zealand and Egypt are also very much in contention, both with one point each.