Belgium delivered a commanding performance in Vancouver on Friday, defeating New Zealand 5-1 to finish top of World Cup Group G and advance to the knockout round. Leandro Trossard scored twice, with Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers also getting on the scoresheet in a result that confirmed Belgium's resurgence after a stuttering start to the tournament.
The Belgians had entered the match in a surprising third place in the group, having drawn 1-1 with Egypt in their opener and then playing out a goalless draw against Iran. Against New Zealand — ranked well below the top European sides and still searching for their first-ever World Cup win — Belgium needed little time to assert themselves. Trossard opened the scoring in the 28th minute after a Kevin De Bruyne corner deflected off New Zealand defender Tim Payne and fell kindly for the Arsenal forward to tap home. Five minutes after the break, Trossard struck again, collecting a pass from De Bruyne and burying the rebound after his initial shot was blocked. De Bruyne, a day before his 35th birthday, then swept in a composed left-footed finish from the edge of the box in the 66th minute.
New Zealand pulled one back through Elijah Just in the 84th minute — a goal that briefly threatened Belgium's position at the top of the group, as it temporarily put the Belgians level on goal difference with Egypt, who were drawing 1-1 with Iran in Seattle at the time. Romelu Lukaku, who had left the Belgium training camp to be present at the birth of his first child, returned to head home a fourth and then set up Saelemaekers for the fifth in injury time, securing top spot on goal difference.
In the parallel match in Seattle, Egypt and Iran drew 1-1 in a frantic encounter. Egypt, who had already secured qualification as one of the best third-placed teams before the match, nonetheless led early through Mahmoud Saber before Iran equalised through Ramin Rezaeian. Iran needed a win to guarantee their place in the next round and came agonisingly close in the final minutes, hitting the woodwork twice and having a goal disallowed for offside. Egypt advance as group runners-up; Iran must wait to see whether their record as one of the third-place finishers is enough to carry them through.
Belgium's progression matters for several reasons. The Red Devils, who were eliminated at the group stage in Qatar in 2022 after finishing third at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, will face a third-place qualifier on 1 July in Seattle. The result also reaffirms the quality of a squad built around aging but still influential figures like De Bruyne and Lukaku, whose late cameos continue to prove decisive. For New Zealand, the tournament ends without the historic first win their supporters had hoped for.