Belgium delivered when it mattered most, ending a run of two draws with an emphatic 5–1 win over New Zealand in their final Group G match to secure qualification for the Round of 32.
Under pressure before kickoff, Belgium started aggressively and controlled possession from the opening whistle.
Their dominance paid off in the 28th minute, when Leandro Trossard opened the scoring to give his side a deserved lead before halftime.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Belgium increased the tempo and doubled their advantage through Kevin De Bruyne, whose influence in midfield helped unlock the New Zealand defense.
Trossard later completed his brace to put the result beyond doubt and confirm Belgium’s superiority on the night.
New Zealand showed character and managed to respond late in the match through Elijah Just, giving their supporters a brief moment of hope. But Belgium reacted immediately.
Introduced from the bench, Romelu Lukaku needed only moments to make an impact, scoring Belgium’s fourth goal and sealing the victory.
The Belgians were expected to deliver, and they did just that in their final group stage match!
Dominating from start to finish, the Red Devils cruised to a convincing victory over a New Zealand team that simply didn’t have what it took to compete tonight (1-5).
Thanks to this win, Rudi Garcia’s men advance to the Round of 16, finishing first in Group G on goal difference over Egypt.
