New Zealand full of errors, Belgium enjoy 5-star chocolate

Belgium ran rampant in Vancouver to beat New Zealand 5-1 and clinch the top spot in Group G of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Aided by Egypt’s 1-1 draw against Iran, and a brace from Leandro Trossard, the Red Devils finally registered their first win in the tournament and qualified as the leaders of Group G. For New Zealand, their loss meant exit from the tournament after managing to get a single point in the group stage in a draw against Iran. 

Did Belgium’s trouncing of New Zealand make them a contender? Not really, as New Zealand clearly lacked quality in both their defence and offence. The All Whites were never threatening over 90 minutes, despite registering a late goal through Elijah Just in the 84th minute. Belgium is an interesting side to assess. In their first game against Egypt, it seemed that they were lucky to end the game with a draw, and with the loss of Jeremy Doku in their second game against Iran, they just seemed devoid of a finisher in front of goal. This is clearly a Belgian team at the end of their ‘Golden Generation’ that peaked in the 2018 World Cup, where they finished third, with Eden Hazard long retired and Kevin De Bruyne no longer close to his peak form. Although there is a healthy mix of youth and veterans in the team, the squad that was registered for the tournament never really looked like a real contender. 

A major issue that prevented Belgium from gaining ‘dark horse’ or even ‘favourite’ status was their lack of attacking threat, as the frontline seemed to still be led by a 33-year-old Romelu Lukaku, well past his prime. Their poor performance in the 2024 Euros, and their thoroughly disappointing form over the first two games of this World Cup did not bolster their confidence. In particular, the veterans of the squad, Lukaku and De Bruyne, just seemed to be lacking the intensity and ferocity that the World Cup required. However, the Belgian starting eleven that came out today in Vancouver was one that was looking to prove they were still an underdog darling that were looking to surprise the ‘favourites’ of the tournament. 

There were two key changes today that contributed towards Belgium’s offensive dominance. The first was the return of left winger Jeremy Doku, who provided a much needed spurt of creativity towards the team’s attack. The latter was the decision to keep veteran striker Lukaku on the bench. In their game against Iran, it was clear to see how much of a liability the Napoli striker was. He constantly slowed down the offensive tempo of the team, lost the ball due to his clunky style of play, and killed any build-up that Belgium produced. His absence in the starting line-up today, replaced by Charles de Ketelaere, meant that Red Devils were more threatening in attack as their striker seemed willing to make the necessary runs and was a constant thorn in the side of New Zealand’s defence. 

More than anything, today’s result was a reflection of how poor New Zealand’s backline is. Watching the first, second, and fourth goals that they conceded, it’s clear that the All White’s defence was often caught with their pants down. If it wasn’t defensive stagnation from the centre-backs, it was a lack of awareness from goalkeeper Max Crocombe and Belgium took advantage of each error. Whether it was Trossard who took advantage of their mistakes in the 28th and 50th minute or Lukaku who found himself with a free cross in the 86th minute, the New Zealand defensive five were virtually non-existent today. 

However, in the 66th minute, Kevin De Bruyne’s wondrous strike could be attributed to nobody but the maestro himself. Off an errant tackle by a New Zealand midfielder, de Bruyne collected the ball just outside the All White’s box, took a single touch before sending the ball straight into the bottom right corner of the net. It was a moment of vindication for de Bruyne, who has borne the brunt of the disapproval of this Belgian side’s disappearance in major tournaments.

Despite getting a consolation goal in the 84th minute through Elijah Just, New Zealand’s inability to show quality on either side of the pitch meant that Belgium’s four-goal differential was enough for them to top Group G. They were also the main beneficiaries of the Egypt-Iran draw, as Belgium’s 5-1 win meant that they stood at a 5 point and +4 goal differential at the end of the group stage, while Egypt slumped to second place with 5 points and a +2 point goal differential. The result also meant that New Zealand were officially eliminated from the 2026 World Cup, while Belgium will face one of the third placed teams from Groups A, I, or J. Is this a Belgium side that can challenge for the title like in 2018? It’s unlikely, but without the label of ‘dark horses’ or ‘favourites’ weighing them down, perhaps it is a team that could disrupt the path of a ‘favourite’ team to win the tournament. They will face their next opponent, likely South Korea or Senegal, in the round of 32 on July 1.