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How quickly this game of ours can change.
Belgium, which had been extremely disappointing at the 2026 World Cup, finally broke free of its inhibitions and won convincingly, 5-1, over New Zealand on Friday night in Vancouver.
As a result, the Red Devils avoided an early embarrassment. And just like that, with some late drama from substitutes Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers, they secured first place over Egypt in Group G, thanks to a greater goal difference. A double from Leandro Trossard and another from Kevin De Bruyne secured the win in a complete performance, and that was exactly what the doctor ordered.
As for New Zealand, after a well-earned point against Iran on matchday one, the Kiwis unfortunately lost consecutive matches and were eliminated from the World Cup.
Here are my conclusions:
1. Finally, Belgium reached the World Cup
(Photo by Jared C. Tilton – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
One of the reasons we have appreciated Belgium for many years is its aesthetically pleasing football. At best, thanks to the talent at their disposal and specifically in the midfield, the Red Devils push the ball forward with great ease.
That’s what happened on Friday. From the opening whistle, Belgium pressed, dominated possession and, entering the final third, switched from a 4-3-3 formation to a 2-1-7 formation. The full-backs played as wingers, the wingers as forwards, Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans led the entire game and De Bruyne essentially became a striker. More on them later.
But the point was to be more fluid at the top and not have an objective man. In fact, they were all targets.
Trossard took advantage of that confidence to win the Arsenal title tonight with a big brace too. He was excellent tonight. The icing on the cake was the goal from Lukaku, who came on as a late substitute to save the goal difference. And then Saelemaekers added the exclamation point.
But overall, as far as Rudi Garcia’s entire team goes tonight, it was a great performance from a national team that finished third at the 2018 World Cup. Maybe this is the start of a push for Belgium.
2. The return of Jérémy Doku ignites the attack
(Photo by DIRK WAEM / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP via Getty Images)
After the birth of his first child, a son named Praise, with his wife Shireen, Doku’s teammates certainly praised (sorry, had to) his return to the lineup.
The Manchester City winger usually plays like a video game character, where his change of direction and speed can be a nightmare for any opposing defense.
Garcia therefore had him switch from right to left wing with Trossard on the other side, and New Zealand simply could not deal with his trickery.
He didn’t score tonight, but he didn’t need to. Doku is just a continuous weapon that never stops surprising you with his runs. When you have someone like him, everything becomes easier because he demands so much attention that he makes room for everyone else.
3. Youri Tielemans and Kevin De Bruyne: a brilliant one-two punch
As a lifelong Aston Villa fan, you know how I feel about Tielemans, so it was disappointing to see him start so poorly in this tournament, especially after having his best ever season in the Premier League and Europe.
But on Friday against New Zealand he was fantastic playing the role of conductor, directing the Belgian orchestra in the middle of the park. If the team enters the final third it is almost always thanks to him.
Then there is De Bruyne, one of the best attacking midfielders in modern football. He will turn 35 on Sunday, but judging by tonight, you would never have known it as he constantly penetrated the box and created opportunities for his teammates. In the 66th minute he scored the team’s third.
Forget his passing, which is obviously world-class. Youth players should just watch their movements. It’s tremendous.
4. New Zealand was wrong about everything, until it was too late
(Photo by Ercin Erturk/Anadolu via Getty Images)
In the first half, Darren Bazeley’s team had no shots and only one touch in the box. They only managed 38-40% possession and simply couldn’t create anything of value. He improved in the second, but it was too late.
The strategy was also baffling as he decided to sit back and allow Belgium to continue attacking the box with very little space to counter-attack. It was the equivalent of a boxer asking to be hit with no plans to protect his face.
I always felt that New Zealand’s best asset was their physicality and their ability to hit opponents with the counter-attack. Tonight he achieved none of that. A shout out, however, to Elijah Just, who had a great tournament with three goals.
In the end, Belgium was too strong, won and finished first in the group. Now, he’ll have to wait one more day to see which team he’ll face in the round of 32 in Seattle on Wednesday.
