Belgium finally found their rhythm at the World Cup as they powered past New Zealand with a convincing 5-1 victory in Vancouver to secure their place in the knockout stage.
After two underwhelming performances earlier in the group, Belgium entered the match needing a win to stay alive. Rudi Garcia’s side responded with their most complete display of the tournament, showing urgency, control and attacking quality from the opening stages.
Leandro Trossard was the standout performer, scoring twice to put Belgium firmly in charge. His first goal came in the 28th minute after New Zealand failed to deal with a Kevin De Bruyne corner. The ball bounced dangerously inside the six-yard area, struck defender Tim Payne, and fell kindly for Trossard, who finished from close range.
Belgium created enough chances to extend their lead before half-time, but they had to wait until the 50th minute for their second. De Bruyne once again played a key role, finding Trossard in the box. His initial attempt was blocked, but the Arsenal forward reacted quickly and fired the rebound in at the near post.
De Bruyne then added his name to the scoresheet in the 66th minute, driving a clean left-footed strike into the bottom corner from outside the area. It was a moment of quality that effectively ended New Zealand’s hopes of a comeback.
The All Whites did manage a response through Elijah Just, who continued his impressive individual tournament by scoring his third goal. However, Belgium restored their three-goal cushion almost immediately when substitute Romelu Lukaku headed in just 56 seconds after coming on.
Alexis Saelemaekers, another player introduced from the bench, completed the scoring in stoppage time with a composed finish to give Belgium a statement win.
With Egypt unable to beat Iran, Belgium finished top of Group G on goal difference. They will now face a third-placed side in the last 32 on Wednesday at 21:00 BST.
For New Zealand, the defeat brought their World Cup campaign to an end with one point from three matches. For Belgium, however, this was the performance they had been waiting for. If Trossard and De Bruyne can carry this sharpness into the knockout rounds, Belgium may still have a major role to play in the tournament.
