California. Iran's World Cup has been tumultuous off the field, and its play on the pitch still hasn't produced a victory.

Yet Team Melli's dream of advancing to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time remains very much alive, thanks to an afternoon of brilliance from goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand in a 0-0 draw with Belgium on Sunday.

In a World Cup that has already produced several memorable goalkeeping performances, Beiranvand joined that group with seven saves against the Red Devils. His one-handed stop from a prone position on Maxim De Cuyper's point-blank shot early in the second half ranks among the tournament's highlight saves. Beiranvand denied De Cuyper again in the 86th minute on another golden opportunity.

"He's one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of Iranian football, and he has achieved many things," Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said. "He's extremely intelligent, very experienced, and he had one of his best days today."

But his teammates couldn't find the goal that would have delivered a historic victory, even after Belgium was reduced to 10 men in the second half. Defender Nathan Ngoy received a straight red card in the 66th minute after miskicking a ball backward and fouling Mehdi Taremi to prevent the Iran forward from breaking free on goal.

Belgium actually created the better chances late in the match, finishing with 23 shots, but both teams settled for their second consecutive draws in group play.

Although neither side left SoFi Stadium fully satisfied, Iran took far more positives from the result.

"The feeling in the dressing room is that we could have got even more than what we got today," Iran midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh said. "But we are very, very happy with the performance we had as a team. I think we showed a great team spirit."

During a tumultuous World Cup campaign affected by travel restrictions and visa denials from the United States, Iran narrowly missed a chance to defeat a European side ranked 10th in FIFA's world rankings. Team Melli effectively played at home in the Los Angeles area for the second consecutive match, with large crowds from the Iranian diaspora both supporting the team and protesting the government. Fans booed the national anthem and displayed hundreds of pre-revolutionary Lion and Sun flags.

Iran's World Cup cycle has been chaotic since the United States entered the war on Feb. 28. The team moved its training base from Arizona to Mexico and has been required to leave Los Angeles immediately after both matches, a situation that has frustrated Ghalenoei. Facing numerous preparation challenges, the coach relied on experience against Belgium, fielding the oldest starting lineup in a World Cup match since 1966, according to Opta.

"This is part of our culture: In a difficult situation, we perform better," Jahanbakhsh said.

Meanwhile, Belgium has yet to score in two matches at this World Cup, finding the net only through an own goal in its opening draw against Egypt.

Standout winger Jérémy Doku missed the match because of illness. Belgium has now gone 69 consecutive World Cup shots without scoring, dating to its lone goal during three disappointing matches in Qatar four years ago. Kevin De Bruyne led the attack with five shots and his usual creative playmaking, but nothing could get past Beiranvand.

"We were not efficient enough," striker Romelu Lukaku said after generating one shot while playing 73 minutes despite injury concerns. "We were a bit emotional, but in the end we created a lot. So let's stick to the positive side and try to improve for the next game."

Belgium dominated possession during the opening hour, but Iran still threatened on the counterattack, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois repeatedly denying several opportunities. Courtois matched Beiranvand's effectiveness, if not his theatrics.

Team Melli created the best early chances, including a well-worked set piece that resulted in a goal by Taremi, only for a video review to rule him narrowly offside.

"I think in general we played quite a good game," Courtois said. "Obviously you can always find things you'd like to do better. We had enough chances to score, and we didn't score. Their goalkeeper played a great game."

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