Iran Draws 0-0 With Belgium at World Cup After Late Arrival and Limited Training

Iran played to a 0-0 draw against Belgium on June 21 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The match marked Iran's second draw in as many games at the tournament. @NBCNews reported that joint U.S.

And Israel strikes in late February disrupted Iran's domestic soccer league and forced changes to its World Cup preparations. Iran's training base moved from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, and several warmup matches were canceled. Staff including the federation president and press officers were denied entry to the United States.

The team was permitted to arrive in Southern California only on Saturday. Coach Amir Ghalenoei said through an interpreter that the team arrived in the worst condition possible. He noted less than 16 hours of training before the match and called the two unbeaten games a historic achievement.

Midfielder Alireza Jahanbakhsh said the difficulties united the squad. Belgium entered the match ranked 10th in FIFA rankings, 12 places above Iran. Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand made seven saves, including a one-handed stop while on the ground.

A potential Iranian goal in the 26th minute was disallowed for offside. Belgium played with 10 men after a red card in the 67th minute. Iran is scheduled to return to Mexico two hours after the match due to travel rules.

The team faces Egypt on Friday in Seattle with a chance to advance to the knockout stage.