Mehdi Taremi had a goal disallowed by VAR as Belgium and Iran played out a tense goalless draw in their crucial 2026 World Cup Group G clash in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Taremi appeared to give Iran a shock lead midway through the first half with a clever set-piece finish, only for the strike to be chalked off for a marginal offside decision following a lengthy VAR review.
The incident came after Iran’s national anthem was loudly booed by sections of the crowd, amid heightened political scrutiny surrounding the team’s participation in the tournament.
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei had earlier criticised the team’s difficult preparation conditions, saying they were only able to train for “half the time” they would usually spend ahead of the match.
Belgium dominated possession and created several chances through Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku but failed to break down a resilient Iranian defence before the interval.
Both sides are still searching for their first win of the tournament in what is a pivotal fixture for progression from the group.
