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Belgium concluded its participation in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup with a resounding 5-1 victory over New Zealand at the this Friday, a result that allowed them to advance to the Round of 32 as leaders of Group G.
The Red Devils arrived at the match in a compromised situation: just two points from two games, resulting from a 1-1 draw with Egypt on June 15 in Seattle and a 0-0 draw against Iran on June 21 in Los Angeles, leaving them tied with the Persians and below the Africans in the standings. A victory was practically mandatory to avoid relying on other results and to secure qualification.
Leandro Trossard was the standout player of the night. The Arsenal forward opened the scoring in the 28th minute by capitalizing on a loose ball in the box, and in the 50th minute, he doubled the lead with his second goal, hitting the net after taking advantage of his own rebound from a second shot attempt. The Belgian's brace made it 2-0 at the start of the second half and practically sealed the match.
Kevin De Bruyne added the third goal in the 66th minute to clear up any doubts about the outcome, before New Zealand found a consolation goal through E. Just in the 84th minute, who had already been carrying a yellow card since the 56th minute.
The Belgian response was swift: Romelu Lukaku, who had come onto the field just a minute earlier as a substitute for De Ketelaere, capped off the thrashing in the 86th minute to finalize it at 5-1, marking one of the most effective appearances by a substitute so far in the tournament.
The match statistics clearly reflected European superiority throughout the 90 minutes. Belgium amassed 34 shots compared to just six from New Zealand, with nine shots on target against only two from the Oceanians, and maintained 55% possession of the ball. The New Zealand team committed 10 fouls to seven by the Belgians, and received two yellow cards—Stamenic in the 46th minute and Just in the 56th—while Belgium received no bookings.
New Zealand, arriving at the match with just one point and effectively eliminated after drawing 2-2 with Iran and losing 1-3 against Egypt, concluded their participation in the World Cup with a record of three matches played, no victories, one draw, two losses, four goals scored, and ten goals conceded.
With this victory, Belgium finished first in the with five points —one win and two draws— surpassing Egypt on goal difference, as both teams were tied on points. Iran finished third with three points, while New Zealand closed last with one.
The Diablos Rojos will play their round of 32 match on July 1st in Seattle, where they will seek to confirm that the thrashing of New Zealand marked the beginning of a better version of the team in this World Cup.
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