Thibaut Courtois starred for Belgium, but Romelu Lukaku and the Red Devils attack failed to deliver as a resilient Iran side earned a hard-fought 0-0 World Cup draw.
Belgium’s World Cup campaign remains stuck in neutral after a frustrating 0-0 draw against Iran in Los Angeles, a result that leaves the Red Devils still searching for their first win of the tournament. Despite dominating possession and firing in 21 shots, Belgium could not find a way past an inspired Iranian defence and goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.
Here are the Belgium player ratings:
Thibaut Courtois – 8/10
Belgium’s best player. Produced several crucial saves and kept Iran at bay when the defence wobbled. Without him, Belgium could easily have lost. A captain’s display.
Thomas Meunier – 6/10
Got forward well but lacked the final delivery. Defensively solid enough without being spectacular.
Nathan Ngoy – 4/10
A nightmare afternoon. Looked composed initially but his red card for denying Mehdi Taremi a clear scoring chance changed the game completely.
Wout Faes – 6/10
Battled hard and made several important clearances. Held the defence together after Ngoy’s dismissal.
Maxim De Cuyper – 7/10
One of Belgium’s brighter sparks. Came closest to scoring and was denied by a stunning Beiranvand save.
Amadou Onana – 6.5/10
Worked tirelessly in midfield and broke up Iranian attacks. Provided energy but little creativity.
Youri Tielemans – 6.5/10
Kept the ball moving and controlled tempo for long spells. Needed more cutting edge in the final third.
Kevin De Bruyne – 7/10
Created chances and dictated possession but couldn’t unlock Iran often enough. Worked hard but lacked support in front of him.
Jeremy Doku – 6.5/10
Dangerous whenever he ran at defenders. Produced flashes of brilliance but final decisions let him down.
Leandro Trossard – 6/10
Busy and involved, yet never truly imposed himself on the game. Drifted in and out.
Romelu Lukaku – 5/10
A frustrating outing. Picked up an early booking, struggled to hold the ball up consistently and rarely threatened Iran’s goal before being substituted.
Substitutes
Charles De Ketelaere – 6/10
Added fresh legs but couldn’t find the breakthrough.
Dodi Lukebakio – 6/10
Provided urgency late on without creating a decisive moment.
Belgium now face a must-win clash against New Zealand, while Iran will take plenty of confidence from a disciplined display that earned them another valuable point in Group G.
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