Belgium’s golden generation has finally announced its arrival at the FIFA World Cup 2026. After a frustrating and lackluster start to the tournament, Rudi Garcia’s side unleashed a dominant performance to crush New Zealand 5-1 at BC Place in Vancouver, securing their ticket to the Round of 32 as Group G winners.
Before this high-stakes clash, Belgium was facing immense criticism after disappointing draws against Egypt (1-1) and Iran (0-0). However, Friday night changed everything as the Red Devils rolled back the years with a masterclass in attacking football.
Leandro Trossard Ends Belgium’s Goal Drought
It took 433 minutes, 4 years, and 76 shots since Michy Batshuayi’s goal in Qatar 2022 for Belgium to score an authentic goal from open play (their tournament opener goal against Egypt was an own goal).
Arsenal forward Leandro Trossard became the hero of the night, scoring a brilliant brace. He opened the floodgates in the 28th minute with a close-range finish and doubled the lead early in the second half by hammering home a rebound.
De Bruyne and Lukaku Seal the Deal
The second half belonged to Belgium’s iconic veterans. Midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne, nearing his 35th birthday, arrowed a spectacular strike from outside the box in the 66th minute, celebrating by blowing a heart kiss to the sell-out Vancouver crowd.
The match saw a flurry of action in the final minutes:
- Elijah Just scored a consolation goal for New Zealand in the 84th minute, ruining Thibaut Courtois’ clean sheet on his historic 18th World Cup appearance.
- Just 56 seconds after coming off the bench, star striker Romelu Lukaku answered back with a powerful thumping header in the 86th minute.
- Substitute Alexis Saelemaekers added the final gloss to the scoreline with a stoppage-time goal.
What’s Next for Belgium?
With this 5-1 victory and Egypt’s 1-1 draw against Iran, Belgium finishes at the top of Group G. The team will now travel to Seattle for their Round of 32 knockout clash on Wednesday against a third-placed team.
If Rudi Garcia’s men clear the next hurdle, they are slated to face the winner of the United States vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina match in the Round of 16. For New Zealand, the heartbreak continues as they head home, still winless in nine all-time World Cup matches.