Belgium booked their place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 in emphatic fashion after crushing New Zealand 5-1 at BC Place in Vancouver. The Red Devils finished top of Group G with a dominant display, while New Zealand’s World Cup campaign came to a disappointing end.
The final round of Group G fixtures promised plenty of drama, with every qualification spot still up for grabs. At the same time, Egypt faced Iran in another decisive clash, leaving several qualification scenarios to unfold throughout the evening.
Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia freshened up his side by making five changes from the team that drew with Iran. Timothy Castagne, Arthur Theate, Hans Vanaken, Charles De Ketelaere and Jeremy Doku all returned to the starting lineup. Nathan Ngoy missed out through suspension, while Thomas Meunier, Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Saelemaekers and Nicolas Raskin began on the bench.
It was also a historic night for Thibaut Courtois. The experienced goalkeeper made his 18th World Cup appearance for Belgium, surpassing Enzo Scifo to become his country’s outright record holder. Courtois also recorded his ninth clean sheet in World Cup history before New Zealand’s late consolation, moving closer to the tournament’s all-time leaders.
Belgium dominated from the opening whistle and nearly went ahead in the 12th minute. Leandro Trossard cut inside before striking a powerful effort that beat everyone except the post. The ball bounced clear as New Zealand survived another scare, while a brief VAR review for a possible penalty found no infringement.
The pressure continued four minutes later when Trossard found Jeremy Doku inside the area. The winger spun quickly and fired toward goal, but the effort lacked enough power to trouble Max Crocombe.
Belgium thought they had earned a penalty in the 20th minute after Kevin De Bruyne’s pass found Trossard, whose shot appeared to strike the arm of Michael Surman. Referee Adham Makhadmeh pointed to the spot immediately. However, after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor three minutes later, he overturned the decision after ruling Surman’s arm was in a natural position.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 28th minute. Belgium’s corner caused complete confusion inside the New Zealand penalty area as the defence hesitated and allowed the ball to bounce. It ricocheted off Tim Payne before falling perfectly for Trossard, who reacted quickest to smash home from close range and make it 1-0.
Belgium continued to create chances before the interval. In the 42nd minute, De Bruyne exchanged passes with Trossard before firing over the crossbar from a promising position.
Belgium deservedly led at half time after completely controlling the opening 45 minutes. The Red Devils enjoyed 62 percent possession, registered 16 shots without allowing New Zealand a single attempt, and forced four saves from Crocombe. The narrow scoreline flattered New Zealand, who struggled to cope with Belgium’s relentless attacking play.
Belgium wasted no time after the restart. Just five minutes into the second half, De Bruyne combined brilliantly with Hans Vanaken before releasing Trossard inside the box. Crocombe initially saved his first effort, but the rebound fell straight back to the Arsenal forward, who reacted instantly to fire home his second goal of the night for a 2-0 lead.
New Zealand finally tested Courtois in the 55th minute. Jesse Randall struck a dipping effort from outside the penalty area, but Belgium’s goalkeeper produced a comfortable save to preserve his side’s advantage.
Belgium continued to carve open the New Zealand defence with ease. In the 65th minute, Fernandez-Pardo raced through after a superb defence-splitting pass but failed to hit the target with only the goalkeeper to beat.
The missed opportunity mattered little because Belgium struck again just one minute later. De Bruyne collected a loose ball outside the area, created enough space and drilled a low finish into the bottom right corner to put the match beyond doubt at 3-0.
Belgium’s substitutes made an immediate impact late in the game. In the 86th minute, Nicolas Raskin delivered an inviting cross with his very first touch after coming on, while Romelu Lukaku also marked his first involvement by heading past Crocombe to restore Belgium’s three-goal advantage after New Zealand had briefly pulled one back.
Belgium completed the rout deep into stoppage time. Lukaku drove into the area before cutting the ball back for Alexis Saelemaekers, who struck a powerful finish beyond the helpless Crocombe to seal a comprehensive 5-1 victory. Lukaku’s goal also took him to six World Cup goals for Belgium, making him the country’s all-time leading scorer in the tournament.
The convincing victory ensured Belgium finished top of Group G and advanced confidently to the Round of 32, where they will face one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams. Trossard’s clinical brace laid the foundation before goals from De Bruyne, Lukaku and Saelemaekers completed one of Belgium’s most dominant performances of the tournament.
