VANCOUVER, British Columbia – After two underwhelming opening matches that left them on the brink of elimination, Belgium’s men’s national football team delivered a dominant second-half scoring explosion to book their spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup knockout round, crushing New Zealand 5-1 on Friday night. Leandro Trossard led the charge with two clinical goals, while supporting strikes from Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers sealed the lopsided win for the Belgian side.
Heading into the final Group G matchday, Belgium faced an unexpected uphill battle. Opening draws of 1-1 against Egypt and 0-0 against Iran left the 2018 World Cup third-place finishers sitting third in the four-team group, a far cry from their pre-tournament expectations as one of the competition’s higher-ranked sides. The result echoes a disappointing turn four years prior, when Belgium crashed out of the Qatar World Cup in the group stage, an early exit that followed their historic 2018 run in Russia.
Friday’s rout, however, flipped the group standings on their head. Belgium’s five-goal outburst pushed them to the top of Group G, earning them a spot in the knockout round, where they will face one of the third-placed group finishers next Wednesday in Seattle. The final group match was played simultaneously with the other Group G finale in Seattle between Egypt and Iran, which finished in a 1-1 draw – a result that worked in Belgium’s favor to open the door for their knockout progression.
For New Zealand, who entered the match knowing only an outright win would keep their World Cup dream alive, the campaign comes to an early end. Elijah Just notched the All Whites’ only goal of the match, but the consolation strike was not enough to turn the tide. The side exits the tournament still chasing their first ever victory in World Cup finals history, heading home with no points to their name in group play.
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