Belgium swept aside New Zealand 5-1 in Vancouver to claim first place in Group G and a place in the last 32 of the 2026 World Cup, banishing the memory of two opening draws with a display of clinical finishing. The result, combined with Egypt’s 1-1 stalemate against Iran in Seattle, left the Red Devils on five points, ahead of the Pharaohs on goal difference, and sent the All Whites home with a single point from their third tournament appearance.

The breakthrough came just before the half-hour when a Kevin De Bruyne corner bounced inside the six-yard box, struck defender Tim Payne, and fell for Leandro Trossard to stab home from close range. Trossard doubled the lead five minutes after the restart, volleying in at the near post after his initial shot was blocked. De Bruyne then drove a left-footed strike into the bottom corner from twenty yards in the 66th minute to put the contest beyond doubt. New Zealand pulled one back through Elijah Just’s thumping finish — his third goal of the tournament — but Romelu Lukaku, on the pitch for less than a minute, restored the three-goal cushion with a header, and Alexis Saelemaekers added a fifth deep into stoppage time.

In the concurrent fixture at Lumen Field, Iran came within centimetres of snatching a victory that would have dramatically altered the group standings. After Saber gave Egypt an early lead, Ramin Rezaeian equalised in the 14th minute. The match appeared to be drifting towards a draw until the 89th minute, when Shoja Khalilzadeh forced the ball home in a goalmouth scramble. The VAR review ruled him offside by the narrowest of margins. Moments later, Saeid Ezatolahi rattled the crossbar with a header. Iranian players crossed the pitch in tears at the final whistle, their three points leaving them reliant on other results to progress as one of the best third-placed sides.

Viewed from European capitals, Belgium’s performance was a timely assertion of quality after stuttering draws against Egypt and Iran. In Cairo, the draw was received with relief, securing a knockout tie against Australia in Dallas on 3 July. For Iran, the wait is agonising: their fate now depends on the outcomes of remaining group matches, with only the eight best third-placed teams advancing. New Zealand depart without a win in nine World Cup matches across three editions, their campaign ending with four draws and five defeats.

Belgium will next face a third-placed qualifier in Seattle on 1 July, with a potential meeting against the United States or Bosnia and Herzegovina awaiting in the round of 16. Egypt’s clash with Australia is set for Arlington two days later, while Iran must watch the final group-stage results to learn if their tournament continues.