Belgium crushed New Zealand 5-1 to secure their spot in the knockout stages of the World Cup on Friday. This was Belgium's first win in the tournament, allowing them to finish top of Group G in Vancouver.
Leandro Trossard from Arsenal scored twice, while Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Saelemaekers added goals for the Red Devils. They finished first in the group, ahead of Egypt, thanks to goal difference.
Egypt took the second spot after a 1-1 draw with Iran in Seattle. Iran ended up third in the group.
Belgium dominated the first half. They put pressure on the New Zealand defense early when Trossard’s angled shot hit the inside of the post, but Tyler Binden cleared the ball off the line.
The Red Devils looked set to score when Jordanian referee Adham Mohammad awarded a penalty after Trossard’s shot hit defender Finn Surman’s arm. But VAR asked Mohammad to review the play, and he changed his mind, giving New Zealand a reprieve.
Belgium quickly took control, with Trossard finding the net. He bundled the ball in from close range after De Bruyne’s corner caused chaos in the six-yard box.
Trossard sealed the game just five minutes into the second half. He controlled a rebound in a crowded area and volleyed the ball past New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe at the near post.
De Bruyne then scored a beautiful low shot in the 66th minute to make it 3-0. This goal allowed Belgium to leapfrog Egypt into first place on goal difference.
The match had a tense finish when New Zealand’s Elijah Just scored a consolation goal from the edge of the area, making it 3-1. This goal put Belgium in a tricky situation, briefly dropping them to second place.
But Lukaku headed in his team's fourth goal in the 86th minute. He scored just a minute after coming on as a substitute, pushing Belgium back to the top of the table.
Saelemaekers finished the scoring with a shot from the edge of the area.
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