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Belgium advanced to the round of 32 as winners of Group G after defeating New Zealand 5-1 on June 27, 2026 at BC Place in Vancouver. Leandro Trossard scored twice for the Red Devils while Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers added further goals as the side recovered from two opening draws to top the standings on goal difference ahead of Egypt. New Zealand’s late reply through Elijah Just proved insufficient as the Oceania nation finished bottom of the group with a single point and exited the tournament.
The Qatar News Agency reported that Trossard opened the scoring in the 28th minute before adding a second goal shortly after halftime in the 50th. De Bruyne extended the lead in the 66th minute, after which Just pulled a goal back for New Zealand in the 84th. Lukaku restored the four-goal cushion two minutes later and Saelemaekers completed the scoring in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
FIFA standings data show Belgium finished the group with five points from one win and two draws, having scored six goals and conceded two for a plus-four goal difference. Egypt matched Belgium on five points but advanced as runners-up with a plus-two goal difference. Iran placed third with three points from three draws while New Zealand ended with one point, four goals scored and 10 conceded.
According to an ESPN match report, Belgium entered the fixture needing a victory to guarantee progression after drawing their first two Group G encounters. The side, managed by Rudi Garcia, deployed an attacking lineup featuring Thibaut Courtois in goal, Timothy Castagne at right-back and a creative midfield led by De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans. New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley selected Max Crocombe between the posts, with Chris Wood captaining the attack in a match that drew an attendance of 52,497.
A FIFA summary of the tournament indicated the two teams had never met before in competitive action prior to this Group G clash, which was refereed by Adham Makhadmeh of Jordan. Belgium controlled large portions of the game and converted their opportunities efficiently while New Zealand struggled to contain the European side’s attacking threats. The result confirmed Belgium’s place among the 32 teams proceeding to the knockout stage of the expanded 48-team competition.
Public records from the 2018 tournament show Belgium previously reached the World Cup semifinals, establishing them as consistent performers on the global stage. Their 2026 campaign began cautiously with two draws against Egypt and Iran before the decisive victory over New Zealand propelled them to first in the group. The advancement sets up further matches in the knockout rounds for the Belgian squad, which has blended experienced players with emerging talents throughout the group phase.
