New Zealand v Egypt: World Cup 2026 – live
⚽️ Kick-off time: 6pm local/11am AEST/2am BST/9pm EDT ⚽️ Player guide Bracketology Golden Boot Mail Jonathan Here’s Ben Fisher’s match report from Los Angeles where
⚽️ Kick-off time: 6pm local/11am AEST/2am BST/9pm EDT ⚽️ Player guide Bracketology Golden Boot Mail Jonathan Here’s Ben Fisher’s match report from Los Angeles where Belgium and Iran each kept their World Cup campaigns afloat in a match full of incident. It’s a result that means Group G will go down to the wire with all four teams capable of reaching the knockout stage on the final day. There was simply no debate over the moment of the match and it is one that Iran will cherish, even more so if they are to progress to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time.
Every angle of Alireza Beiranvand’s preposterous save to prevent Belgium taking the lead approaching the hour adds to the miraculous nature of it all. Perhaps the most ludicrous element was that Beiranvand had seesawed to his left in an attempt to intercept Kevin De Bruyne’s rolled cross into the si yard box and yet, scrambling on the turf, stuck out a left glove to shut the door in the face of Maxim De Cuyper.
Belgium finished with 10 men after Nathan Ngoy was sent off for hauling down Mehdi Taremi. If Iran advance to the last 32, they will surely reflect on Beiranvand’s divine intervention. De Bruyne glittered in moments, none more so than graciously bringing Leandro Trossard’s lifted pass down on the byline. Beiranvand made it his mission to reach De Bruyne’s pass before Romelu Lukaku, who by starting became the third-most capped Belgium player.
In the end Ali Nemati stopped the cross, legs splayed as Beiranvand thwarted De Cuyper. Iran believes. Meanwhile Belgium, who went out at the group stage four years ago, are in a spot of bother. Continue reading...
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