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Belgium crush New Zealand to claim top spot in Group G

football27 June 2026 05:19| © Backpage TXT
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Belgium claimed top spot in group G at the 2026 Fifa World Cup after they crushed New Zealand 5-1 at BC Place Vancouver on Saturday morning.

Combined with a 1-1 draw between Iran and Egypt in the other group game in Seattle, the Red Devils leapfrogged to the top of the standings and will face a to-be-determined opponent in the round of 32 in Seattle on the evening (22:00 CAT) of Wednesday 1 July.

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As for the All Whites, they finished bottom of the log and have been eliminated.

Belgium dominated the early stages and were close to an 11th-minute goal when Leandro Trossard beautifully controlled a pass in the penalty area and struck toward the target, but his effort hit the woodwork.

Two minutes later, New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe made a sharp save to deny Kevin De Bruyne, as the Red Devils kept up their attacking pressure.

The Europeans were awarded a penalty on 20 minutes, but a VAR review overturned the decision. Yet they didn’t have to wait much longer for their pressure to be rewarded, as a De Bruyne corner kick pin-balled in the goalmouth before Trossard struck home from close range for a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute.

Belgium had chances to add to their advantage late in the first half, with Jeremy Doku driving a shot just wide of the mark in the 40th minute, while three minutes later, Crocombe made a brilliant save to keep out a header from Charles De Ketelaere.

The All Whites made a double change at the start of the second half, but just five minutes later Belgium went 2-0 up, with Trossard scoring his second by latching onto a rebound and firing home.

De Bruyne then made it 3-0 midway through the second half, picking up a loose ball and driving a left-footed shot from just outside the penalty area beyond the left hand of Crocombe and into the bottom corner of the net.

New Zealand pulled a goal back in the 84th minute via a fine finish from the edge of the box by Elijah Just, but Belgium restored a three-goal lead just a couple of minutes later, as substitute Romelu Lukaku headed home from Nicolas Raskin’s cross mere moments after coming off the bench.

And a fifth goal arrived deep in injury time via another substitute, Alexis Saelemaekers, who latched onto an assist from Lukaku before wrapping up the scoring in style.

New Zealand (0) 1 (E. Just 84’)

Belgium (1) 5 (L. Trossard 28’ 50’, K. De Bruyne 66’, R. Lukaku 86’, A. Saelemaekers 90+4’)

New Zealand: M. Crocombe, T. Payne (M. Boxall 64’), F. Surman, T. Bindon, L. Cacace (F. De Vries 79’), J. Bell (C. McCowatt 64’), M. Stamenic, S. Singh (J. Randall 46’), R. Thomas (B. Old 46’), E. Just, C. Wood

Belgium: T. Courtois, T. Castagne, B. Mechele, A. Theate, M. De Cuyper, Y. Tielemans (N. Raskin 85’), H. Vanaken, J. Doku (M. Fernandez-Pardo 56’), K. De Bruyne (A. Onana 72’), L. Trossard (A. Saelemaekers 72’), C. De Ketelaere (R. Lukaku 85’)

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