Belgium confirmed their place in the World Cup knockout stages on Friday after securing a commanding 5-1 victory over New Zealand in Vancouver. The win allowed the Belgians to finish at the top of Group G, moving safely into the round of 32 despite having opened their tournament campaign with two consecutive draws.
Arsenal midfielder Leandro Trossard led the offensive effort with two goals, while teammates Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Saelemaekers also found the back of the net. This performance comes after Belgium previously recorded a 1-1 draw against Egypt, who also qualified for the next stage, and a scoreless stalemate against Iran in their earlier group fixtures.
For Iran, the road to the knockout phase is now uncertain. Following a 1-1 draw in their final group match against Egypt, they must wait for the conclusion of other group fixtures to see if they will remain in the competition. Meanwhile, the loss for New Zealand confirms their exit from the tournament, as they conclude their run with only a single point.
Trossard initiated the scoring for Belgium with an impressive effort from a corner kick in the 28th minute, later adding a second goal via a volley early in the second half. Kevin De Bruyne extended the lead to 3-0 with a low strike from outside the penalty area, followed by a header from Romelu Lukaku and a final goal from Alexis Saelemaekers to seal the result.
Looking ahead, Belgium is scheduled to face a third-place finisher from either Group A, E, H, I, or J in Seattle next week. Egypt, having finished as runners-up in Group G, will prepare to meet Australia in Dallas. Iran’s future in the tournament now depends entirely on the results of the final matches occurring in Groups J, K, and L.
