Belgium crush New Zealand 5-1 with a Trossard brace to top the group
A Leandro Trossard brace plus strikes from De Bruyne, Lukaku and Saelemaekers led Belgium, who topped Group G despite Just's goal at the 2026 World Cup.
Belgium crushed New Zealand 5-1 at BC Place in Vancouver, the Canadian venue for the 2026 World Cup holding 52,497 spectators and known for its retractable membrane roof, to close the third round of Group G. The rout came at this 48-team World Cup staged by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The Red Devils broke the deadlock in the first half. In the 28th minute, Leandro Trossard put Belgium ahead to set up a game they needed to win comfortably. After the break, in the 50th minute, Trossard completed his brace from a Hans Vanaken pass, and in the 66th Kevin De Bruyne extended the lead to leave the contest all but settled.
New Zealand had their moment of reward in the 84th minute, when Elijah Just grabbed a consolation goal. But Belgium pushed even harder late on: in the 86th, Romelu Lukaku made it four from a Nicolas Raskin pass, and in stoppage time, in the 90+4, Alexis Saelemaekers completed the five-star display assisted by Lukaku himself.
Rudi Garcia set Belgium up in a 4-2-3-1 with Thibaut Courtois in goal and a stellar De Bruyne, who was named player of the match. New Zealand, organised in a 4-2-3-1 with Max Crocombe in goal, could not contain the Belgian threat. The game produced just two bookings, both for New Zealand's Marko Stamenic (46') and Elijah Just (56').
With this rout, Belgium close Group G as leaders on five points and with the best goal difference, advancing with authority to the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup. New Zealand, by contrast, bow out of the tournament bottom on one point, having conceded ten goals in the group stage.