Belgium run riot: New Zealand thrashed 5-1

Belgium booked their place in the next round with a commanding 5-1 win over New Zealand on the third matchday of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage. At BC Place in Vancouver, Belgium controlled the contest from start to finish and pulled clear with a flurry of second-half goals.

Belgium were the brighter side early on and took the lead in the 28th minute through Leandro Trossard to go in 1-0 up at the break. New Zealand offered little genuine threat going forward during the opening period.

The one-sided nature of the game became even more pronounced after the restart. In the 50th minute, Trossard struck again, converting Hans Vanaken's assist to make it 2-0. Kevin De Bruyne added a third in the 66th minute, all but settling the outcome.

New Zealand restored a measure of pride in the 84th minute when Elijah Just found the net to make it 3-1. The goal flattered the scoreline but did nothing to change the flow of the match. Substitute Romelu Lukaku quickly restored the three-goal cushion, finishing from Nicolas Raskin's pass in the 86th minute (4-1). Alexis Saelemaekers had the final word in the 90+4th minute, turning home Lukaku's assist to complete the 5-1 rout.

The imbalance on the pitch was clearly reflected in the numbers. Belgium peppered the New Zealand goal with 35 shots to their opponents' six, while the expected goals (xG) figures read 3.65 to 0.25 in Belgium's favour.

Refereed by Jordan's Adham Makhadmeh and watched by a crowd of 52,497, the match underlined the strength of Belgium's squad depth. With players introduced from the bench also getting on the scoresheet, Belgium head into the knockout phase on a high. New Zealand, who arrived as outsiders, were unable to escape the group and bowed out of the World Cup after this heavy defeat.

Belgium's increased tempo and attacking variety in the second half stood out, while New Zealand paid a clear price for the way their defence came apart.

Image: FourFourTwo