Belgium Rout New Zealand 5-1 to Top Group and Reach Knockout Stage

Belgium finally arrived at the 2026 World Cup in style, beating New Zealand 5-1 on Saturday morning to finish first in Group G and advance to the knockout rounds. The Red Devils, who had been frustrated by draws against Egypt and Iran, will meet one of the third-place finishers next. New Zealand were eliminated with just one point, still without a World Cup win, and still without a victory over a European side since a 2010 pre-World Cup friendly.

Leandro Trossard opened the scoring in the 28th minute, giving Belgium their first World Cup goal since Michy Batshuayi scored against Canada at the start of the Qatar 2022 group stage. The strike also ended a run of 74 shots without a goal. Trossard, the Arsenal forward, starred again in the 50th minute when he controlled the ball on his chest and fired into the top corner to complete his brace, becoming the first Belgian to score two or more in a World Cup match since Romelu Lukaku against Tunisia in 2018.

Kevin De Bruyne made it 3-0 in the 66th minute with a sharp shot from outside the box. Elijah Just pulled one back in the 84th minute, but Lukaku responded almost immediately, heading home 40 seconds after coming off the bench. Alexis Saelemaekers added a fifth in stoppage time, in the 94th minute.

Belgium are now unbeaten in 15 straight matches, their second-longest run ever. Thibaut Courtois also set a national record by making his 18th World Cup appearance, the most by any Belgian player. The match was played at Lumen Field in Seattle, with Jordanian referee Adham Makhadmeh in charge.