FIFA WC: Ghalibaf lauds keeper Beiranvand after 0-0 draw vs Belgium

Iran's Parliament Speaker MB Ghalibaf praised goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand after his heroic performance in a 0-0 draw against Belgium at the FIFA World Cup 2026, saying, 'This is how we protect our land'.

Iran's Parliament Speaker MB Ghalibaf on Monday lauded Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand for producing a series of crucial saves to keep his side in the Group G match against Belgium at the FIFA World Cup 2026, affirming, "This is how we protect our land."

In a post on X, the speaker, sharing an image from Iran's second Group G match in which the team held Belgium to a hard-fought 0-0 draw, hailed the goalkeeper for his outstanding performance. "This is how we protect our land," he captioned the post. This is how we protect our land pic.twitter.com/Y9x0OoE7Kb — محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) June 21, 2026

Player of the Match performance

The 33-year-old goalkeeper earned widespread praise after his magnificent performance at Los Angeles Stadium on Sunday (Local Time). Beiranvand made seven saves in total, including four diving stops and three high claims, while also preventing an estimated 1.70 goals. His heroics ensured Iran secured a valuable point and earned him the 'Superior Player of the Match' award.

Intense goalless draw

Belgium began the contest on the front foot and dominated possession during the opening stages. Maxim De Cuyper tested Beiranvand with a powerful long-range effort, but the Iranian shot-stopper was equal to the challenge.

Iran remained threatening on the counterattack and thought they had taken the lead in the 24th minute when Mehdi Taremi converted a cleverly worked free-kick routine. However, a VAR review ruled the goal out for a marginal offside.

The Belgian attack continued to probe throughout the first half, creating several opportunities, but Beiranvand repeatedly came to Iran's rescue with a string of crucial interventions.

Turning point: Belgium down to 10 men

The game shifted dramatically in the 66th minute when Belgium defender Nathan Ngoy received a straight red card for bringing down Taremi after a defensive mistake left the Iranian striker through on goal. The dismissal, the eighth red card of the tournament, forced Belgium to adopt a more cautious approach for the remainder of the match.

Group G finely balanced

With the numerical advantage, Iran pushed forward in search of a winner, introducing fresh attacking options and applying sustained pressure on the Belgian backline. Despite a series of late attacks, they could not find the breakthrough.

The draw leaves Group G finely balanced, with Iran sitting top and Belgium second on two points. New Zealand and Egypt are both on one point, keeping qualification prospects open for all four teams heading into the final round of group-stage fixtures. (ANI)

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