Belgium crushes New Zealand, registers a spectacular entry in the knockout!

In the Group G match of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Belgium performed brilliantly and defeated New Zealand 5-1 in a one-sided fashion. With this win at the BC Place Stadium, Belgium has secured its place in the Round of 32. With the defeat at the hands of Belgium, New Zealand’s dream of reaching the next round has been shattered.

The hero of this victory of Belgium was Leandro Trossard, who scored two goals in the match. In Group G, both Belgium and Egypt were tied with five points each, but Belgium topped the group on the basis of goal difference.

Both Belgium and Egypt were tied on five points each, but Belgium topped the group on the basis of goal difference. With a 1-1 draw against Iran, Egypt has also confirmed its place in the next round. Iran finished third with 3 points, while New Zealand could earn only one point in 3 matches.

From the beginning of the match, Belgium maintained possession of the ball and continuously attacked New Zealand’s goal. In the 11th minute, Leandro Trossard came close to scoring, but his shot hit the goal post. Belgium were awarded a penalty moments later, but the decision was overturned after a VAR (Video Assistant Referee) check as the referee deemed the New Zealand player’s hand to be in a natural position.

Belgium took a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute. Trossard scored the first goal with a brilliant finish from Kevin De Bruyne’s brilliant cross. Trossard scored his second goal early in the second half. In the 49th minute of the match, he controlled another brilliant pass from De Bruyne and sent the ball into the goal post from close range to make the score 2-0.

New Zealand tried to make a comeback, but Belgian goalkeeper Thibo Courtois made a brilliant save to maintain the team’s lead. After this, De Bruyne increased Belgium’s lead to 3-0 in the 66th minute of the match. With this goal, 34-year-old De Bruyne also became the oldest player to score a goal for Belgium in the FIFA World Cup.

The only goal for New Zealand was scored by Elijah Just in the 84th minute. However, just one minute later, Romelu Lukaku scored the fourth goal for Belgium with an excellent header and sealed the team’s victory. In stoppage time, Alexis Saalemakers scored the fifth goal for Belgium and sealed the team’s resounding victory.