Arabic version: بلجيكا تتعثر في التعادل مع إيران في مواجهة كأس العالم

Belgium were held to a scoreless draw by Iran in a frustrating encounter that saw the Red Devils reduced to 10 men and facing the possibility of group-stage elimination for a second consecutive World Cup.

According to Al Jazeera, despite controlling possession, Belgium struggled to break through a resolute Iranian defense. Iran’s Mehdi Taremi had the ball in the net from a well-worked first-half free kick that was overturned for offside by VAR, while Belgium’s Nathan Ngoy was sent off in the second half for hauling down the striker following a badly mishit back-pass.

The result means all three games in Group G so far have ended in draws. Stuck on two points, Belgium at least have the comfort of playing the tournament’s lowest-ranked team, New Zealand, in their final group game. Meanwhile, Iran will seek at least a point against Egypt in their upcoming match, hoping to overcome recent travel issues that have hampered their campaign.

In the stadium, protests from the Iranian-American community continued, with demonstrators voicing their dissent against the Iranian regime. While the national anthem faced boos and whistles, the players themselves received strong support from the crowd throughout the match.