Belgium has officially cemented its place in the round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup after a dominant 5-1 victory over New Zealand. In the concurrent Group G fixture, Egypt played out a 1-1 draw against Iran. Following these results, Belgium finished at the top of the group based on goal difference, with Egypt also successfully progressing to the knockout stage. Iran now faces an anxious wait to see if they can qualify as one of the top eight third-placed teams in the tournament.
Total control by Belgium
Under the management of Peter Bosz, the Belgian side maintained possession from the opening whistle, pinning New Zealand deep in their own territory. Early in the match, Belgium was awarded a penalty, though the decision was overturned following a VAR review. The deadlock was finally broken in the 28th minute. A corner kick from Kevin De Bruyne caused chaos inside the New Zealand penalty box. Tim Payne failed to clear the danger, and the ball fell kindly to Leandro Trossard, who reacted quickly to poke it into the back of the net.
Dominating the second half
Belgium’s superior quality shone through in the second half. Five minutes after the restart, Kevin De Bruyne delivered a precise through ball to Leandro Trossard. Although the Arsenal forward's initial attempt was blocked, he remained composed and lashed home the rebound, beating goalkeeper Max Crocombe to extend the lead to 2-0. Any hope of a New Zealand comeback was effectively extinguished in the 66th minute when Kevin De Bruyne himself found the target, firing an accurate strike into the bottom corner from the edge of the box to make it 3-0.
Sealing the group title
Elijah Just managed a consolation goal for New Zealand to appease the home crowd, but Belgium showed no signs of complacency. Substitute Romelu Lukaku quickly restored the three-goal cushion. In the closing moments of the game, Alexis Saelemaekers added another goal to turn the victory into a rout. With this decisive win, Belgium claimed the top spot in Group G, concluding the group phase with authority.
