Belgium arrived in Vancouver under pressure and left with renewed belief. A dominant 5,1 victory over New Zealand not only secured top spot in Group G but also suggested Rudi Garcia’s side may finally be ready to make their mark at the World Cup.
After two frustrating draws, the Red Devils needed a convincing response. They delivered exactly that, with Leandro Trossard producing his finest performance of the tournament while Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku reminded everyone why Belgium’s experienced core still commands respect on football’s biggest stage.
Belgium controlled the contest from the opening whistle. New Zealand struggled to cope with the relentless movement of Trossard and De Bruyne, and the Europeans pinned their opponents deep inside their own half without allowing them a single effort before the break.
Trossard thought he had earned a penalty after a handball decision, only for VAR to overturn the call. The Arsenal forward refused to let the setback affect him. He broke the deadlock in the 28th minute after reacting quickest to a loose ball inside the six yard box before doubling Belgium’s lead early in the second half with an instinctive finish after Max Crocombe denied his first attempt.
The Belgian attack never slowed down. De Bruyne capped another influential display with a superb strike from outside the area after Trossard’s driving run pulled New Zealand’s defence apart. Although Elijah Just briefly gave New Zealand hope with his third goal of the tournament, Belgium responded almost immediately as substitute Romelu Lukaku powered home a trademark header before setting up Alexis Saelemaekers for the fifth goal with the final kick.
The statistics reflected Belgium’s complete control. Garcia’s men fired 35 shots, their third highest tally in a World Cup match since records began in 1966, while generating 3.65 expected goals compared to New Zealand’s 0.25. Trossard and De Bruyne alone accounted for 14 attempts, highlighting the influence of Belgium’s senior stars.
The victory also marked an important personal milestone for Lukaku. His sixth World Cup goal moved him clear of Marc Wilmots as Belgium’s outright leading scorer in the tournament’s history, another reminder of his enduring value despite starting the match on the bench.
Garcia was delighted to see his experienced players answer their critics. “This is what the ‘oldies’ did tonight. We haven’t won anything yet but we moved on to the next phase,” he said. “We are growing. We’re gaining momentum. I fully trust my leaders and the answer happened on the pitch.”
For New Zealand, the defeat brought an end to an encouraging campaign. Head coach Darren Bazeley chose optimism over disappointment. “This is a great group of players that have got a really great future,” he said. “They’ll definitely be better for it because it’ll hurt, and it should hurt because we’re at a World Cup and now we’re going home.”
Belgium now head to Seattle for the round of 32 with momentum finally on their side. Tougher tests await, but if Trossard, De Bruyne and Lukaku continue to combine with the same authority, the Red Devils may yet emerge as genuine contenders rather than fading members of a once celebrated golden generation.
