Belgium booked their place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 with an impressive 5-1 victory over New Zealand, finishing top of Group G after finally producing a performance worthy of their potential.
Leandro Trossard starred with two goals, while Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers also found the net as Rudi Garcia’s side comfortably ended New Zealand’s World Cup campaign.
Trossard sets Belgium on course
Needing a victory to guarantee qualification, Belgium dominated from the opening whistle in Vancouver.
Their breakthrough arrived in the 28th minute when Kevin De Bruyne’s corner caused chaos inside the six-yard box. The ball bounced off New Zealand defender Tim Payne before falling kindly for Leandro Trossard, who finished from close range.
Belgium continued to create chances throughout the first half but had to wait until five minutes after the restart to double their advantage. De Bruyne threaded a pass into Trossard, whose initial effort was blocked before he brilliantly volleyed the rebound into the near corner for his second goal of the evening.
De Bruyne takes control
Belgium effectively sealed the contest in the 66th minute when captain Kevin De Bruyne produced one of his trademark strikes, firing a powerful left-footed effort from 20 yards into the bottom corner.
The Manchester City midfielder also had a penalty overturned following a VAR review earlier in the match, but his overall display underlined his importance as Belgium finally clicked into top gear.
His creativity and leadership proved instrumental as Belgium rediscovered the attacking fluency that had been missing in their opening two group matches.
New Zealand bow out despite consolation
New Zealand briefly reduced the deficit in the 84th minute through Elijah Just, who scored his third goal of the tournament with a powerful finish.
However, Belgium restored their three-goal cushion just 56 seconds later as substitute Romelu Lukaku headed home from close range after excellent build-up play.
Another substitute, Alexis Saelemaekers, completed the rout deep into stoppage time to cap a dominant Belgian performance.
Knockout challenge awaits
With Egypt failing to defeat Iran, Belgium finished top of Group G on goal difference and advanced to the Round of 32, where they will face one of the tournament’s third-placed qualifiers.
The victory showcased the attacking quality of Belgium’s experienced stars, particularly the partnership between Trossard and De Bruyne, which could prove crucial as the competition enters the knockout stages.
For New Zealand, the defeat ended their third FIFA World Cup campaign after collecting just one point from three group-stage matches.
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