Belgium had 71 per cent of the ball, 21 shots, and an expected-goals figure of 1.77. They could not score. Iran, playing with five defenders and massed lines of four behind them, held on with seven saves from Alireza Beiranvand and a disciplined rearguard that made Belgium's superiority feel almost meaningless by full time.
The story of the match turned on a single moment in the 66th minute. With Belgium already beginning to strain against the low block, centre-back Nathan Ngoy received a straight red card, reducing Rudi Garcia's side to ten men for the final quarter. From that point, Iran's plan became considerably simpler, and Belgium's became considerably harder.
Before the dismissal, Belgium had dominated without ever quite opening Iran up. Kevin De Bruyne circulated possession smartly, Leandro Trossard was Belgium's most dynamic presence in the final third, and Youri Tielemans pressed and probed from deeper. The problem was Romelu Lukaku, who found himself repeatedly isolated against Shoja Khalilzadeh. Iran's captain was imperious, winning everything in the air and cutting out the few crosses that arrived with any conviction.
Iran's 5-4-1 gave Belgium very little space between the lines, and whatever did open up tended to close quickly. Saeid Ezatolahi and Mohammad Mohebi sat in front of the back five and restricted the angles through which De Bruyne might have done real damage. Twenty of Belgium's 21 shots came from inside the box, which sounds encouraging until you note how many were blocked or straight at Beiranvand.
The goalkeeper was the dominant figure at SoFi Stadium. Seven saves over 94 minutes is not a quiet afternoon's work, and on several occasions he made stops that kept the scoreline intact when Belgium seemed certain to convert. His performance was the single biggest reason Iran left Inglewood with a point.
Once Ngoy walked, Belgium's attacking momentum evaporated. Garcia brought on Timothy Castagne, Hans Vanaken, and Dodi Lukebakio around the hour mark, shuffling the shape as best he could, but playing against a five-man defence with ten men is a particular sort of frustration. Iran, to their credit, did not simply sit and absorb. Mehdi Taremi dropped deep to link and occasionally threatened on the counter, and Iran fashioned seven shots of their own, with an expected-goals tally of 0.61. That is not nothing for a team defending with such commitment.
The point leaves Group G looking remarkably level. All four sides have one drawn game and sit on one point apiece, though New Zealand and Iran edge ahead on goals scored. Belgium, who came into this tournament with genuine knockout-round ambitions, have ground to make up. The red card means Ngoy will miss the next fixture, which is a complication Garcia did not need.
Iran's performance was exactly what their coaching staff will have drawn up. Gheorghe Amir Ghalenoei's side were organised, disciplined, and carried a threat on the break that kept Brandon Mechele and Maxim De Cuyper honest. They have one more chance to qualify from this group, and they have already demonstrated that the margin between them and Belgium is considerably narrower than pre-tournament assessments suggested.
A goalless draw at this stage is not a catastrophe for either side. For Belgium, though, it requires some careful reflection. The talent in Garcia's squad, from De Bruyne to Trossard to Lukaku, should be enough to break down a packed defence. On Sunday evening in Inglewood, it was not.