16 shots, one goal: Belgium lead at half-time

Belgium were utterly dominant against New Zealand on the third matchday of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage, yet managed to take only a 1-0 lead into half-time. The opening 45 minutes at BC Place in Vancouver were the picture of a one-sided contest.

Belgium pressed from the start, camped in the opposition half and pinned New Zealand back inside their own box. That superiority almost yielded a goal in the 21st minute, but a penalty decision was overturned after a VAR review, denying Belgium the advantage they had threatened to take.

The expected breakthrough arrived in the 28th minute. Leandro Trossard rewarded Belgium's relentless pressure by finding the net to make it 1-0. The goal did nothing to alter the one-way nature of the game; Belgium maintained their attacking pressure while New Zealand retreated almost entirely into their own half.

The first-half statistics lay bare the imbalance on the pitch. Belgium dominated with 16 shots, while New Zealand failed to register a single attempt in the opening 45 minutes. In the expected goals (xG) data, Belgium reached 1.71 against New Zealand's 0.00. Belgium led possession with 62%, and the gulf in touches inside the opposition box was stark: 46 for Belgium against just one for New Zealand. The figures underline that New Zealand offered nothing going forward, while Belgium had no trouble creating openings.

Kevin De Bruyne was one of the men pulling the strings for Belgium. In the 45+3rd minute, his cross into the box was cleared by the defence to snuff out the danger. In the 45+5th minute, Maxim De Cuyper came close to a chance, but his attempt to play a through ball to a teammate came to nothing. Had Belgium taken these opportunities, they would have gone in with a far more comfortable scoreline.

The match was officiated by Jordanian referee Adham Makhadmeh. With his whistle in the 45+7th minute, the first half ended 1-0 to Belgium despite their overwhelming superiority on the field.

The second half hinges on whether Belgium can convert that pressure into a more emphatic scoreline, and how long New Zealand can keep their defence intact. A single-goal margin always carries risk for the dominant side, while New Zealand will be looking to offer at least some attacking threat after the restart.