Belgium crush New Zealand 5-1 to march into World Cup knockouts

Belgium produced a commanding display to book their place in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage, thrashing New Zealand 5-1 in their final Group G match at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver on Friday (June 27).

Leandro Trossard starred with a brace as the Red Devils overwhelmed their opponents from start to finish, while Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers also found the net. Elijah Just scored New Zealand's lone consolation goal.

Belgium seized control from the opening whistle, dominating possession and creating wave after wave of attacks. Their pressure finally paid off in the 28th minute when Trossard capitalised on a goalmouth scramble following a De Bruyne corner to break the deadlock. New Zealand failed to register a single shot on target before halftime as Belgium dictated the tempo.

The Europeans returned from the break with even greater intensity. Trossard doubled the advantage in the 50th minute after finishing a well-worked move initiated by Hans Vanaken. De Bruyne then made it 3-0 in the 66th minute with a stunning left-footed strike from outside the box.

New Zealand briefly threatened a comeback in the 84th minute when Elijah Just volleyed home after Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois failed to deal with a corner. But Belgium responded immediately. Substitute Romelu Lukaku restored the three-goal cushion with his first touch in the 86th minute before setting up Alexis Saelemaekers, who completed the 5-1 rout deep into stoppage time.

Belgium's dominance was reflected across every key statistic, including possession, shots, corners and chances created. Their fluid passing, wing play and dangerous set-pieces consistently exposed New Zealand's defence, while the Oceania side struggled to create meaningful opportunities throughout the contest.

After an underwhelming start to the tournament, Belgium delivered their most convincing performance when it mattered most, securing qualification for the Round of 32 with renewed confidence. New Zealand, meanwhile, bowed out of the competition with just one point from three group-stage matches.