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Belgium secured qualification for the FIFA World Cup knockout stage with a dominant 5-1 victory over New Zealand, as Leandro Trossard scored twice to inspire the Red Devils to the top of Group G.
The emphatic win in Vancouver, coupled with Egypt’s failure to defeat Iran, saw Belgium finish top of the group on goal difference and book a place in the last 32.
Needing victory to keep their World Cup hopes alive, Belgium produced their most convincing performance of the tournament, controlling possession and creating numerous chances from the outset.
Trossard opened the scoring in the 28th minute after New Zealand failed to clear a Kevin De Bruyne corner. The Arsenal forward reacted quickest to a loose ball following a deflection off defender Tim Payne, calmly finishing from close range.
Belgium doubled their advantage five minutes after the restart when Trossard struck again. After seeing his initial effort blocked, the winger pounced on the rebound to volley home at the near post for his second goal of the match.
Captain Kevin De Bruyne made it 3-0 in the 66th minute with a superb left-footed strike from outside the penalty area, effectively putting the contest beyond New Zealand’s reach.
The All Whites briefly reduced the deficit through Elijah Just, who netted his third goal of the tournament. However, Belgium restored their three-goal cushion less than a minute later as substitute Romelu Lukaku headed home just 56 seconds after entering the pitch.
Another substitute, Alexis Saelemaekers, rounded off the scoring deep into stoppage time to complete a comprehensive 5-1 victory.
The result sends Belgium into the knockout rounds, where they will face one of the tournament’s best third-placed teams in Seattle on Wednesday. South Korea are currently the most likely opponents.
For New Zealand, the defeat ends their World Cup campaign. The All Whites finished bottom of Group G with just one point from three matches.
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