Belgium secured their place in the World Cup knockout rounds with an emphatic victory over New Zealand in Vancouver, producing their strongest display of the tournament when they needed it most. After disappointing performances in their opening two matches, Rudi Garcia’s side controlled the contest from the opening whistle and rarely allowed their opponents to settle.
The breakthrough arrived in the 28th minute after Kevin De Bruyne’s corner was allowed to bounce inside the six-yard area. The ball deflected off defender Tim Payne before falling kindly for Leandro Trossard, who finished from close range to put Belgium in front.
The European side created enough opportunities to establish a much larger advantage before the interval, but their second goal did not come until five minutes after the restart. De Bruyne found Trossard with a precise pass, and although the forward’s initial attempt was blocked, he reacted quickly to volley the rebound into the near corner.
De Bruyne and substitutes complete dominant display
Belgium extended their lead again in the 66th minute when De Bruyne struck a left-footed effort from 20 yards into the bottom corner to make the outcome virtually certain.
New Zealand briefly reduced the deficit through Elijah Just, whose powerful finish brought him his third goal of the tournament. However, Belgium responded almost immediately, with substitute Romelu Lukaku heading home only 56 seconds after entering the match to restore the three-goal cushion.
There was still time for another replacement to make an impact. Alexis Saelemaekers added a fifth goal during stoppage time to complete an impressive evening for Belgium.
Group outcome and confidence boost
Belgium finished at the top of Group G on goal difference after Egypt failed to defeat Iran. They will now face one of the third-placed teams in the last 32 on Wednesday at 21:00 BST, with South Korea currently the projected opponent, although that could change because three groups have yet to be completed. The knockout match will be played in Seattle.
This commanding performance marked a significant improvement after underwhelming displays against Egypt and Iran. Belgium played with far greater intensity, moved the ball sharply around the penalty area, and consistently troubled New Zealand’s defence. Trossard repeatedly caused problems with his direct attacking play, while De Bruyne was involved in both of his goals, also helped create a penalty that was later overturned following a VAR review, and then scored himself.
New Zealand’s World Cup campaign ended with just one point from three matches as they exited the tournament after their third appearance at the competition.