Finally, Belgium Arrived: 4 Takeaways From The Group-Clinching Win vs. New Zealand

How quickly this game of ours can change. Belgium, which had been extremely disappointing in the 2026 World Cup, finally shook off its inhibitions and won emphatically, 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 top spot over Egypt in Group G, thanks to a greater goal difference. A brace from Leandro Trossard and another one from Kevin De Bruyne secured the win in a complete performance, and this was exactly what the doctor ordered. As for New Zealand, after a well-earned point against Iran on the first match day, the Kiwis sadly lost back-to-back matches and bowed out of the World Cup. Here are my takeaways: 1. Finally, Belgium Arrived At The World Cup One of the reasons why we have appreciated Belgium for many years is the aesthetically pleasing football. At its best — thanks to the talent at its disposal and specifically in the midfield — the Red Devils push the ball forward with so much ease. That’s what happened Friday. From the first whistle, Belgium pushed, dominated possession and, when entering the final third, it changed from a 4-3-3 to a 2-1-7 formation. Fullbacks played as wingers, wingers as forwards, Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans directed all the play and De Bruyne essentially turned into a striker. More on them later. But the point was to be more fluid up top and not have a target man. In fact, they were all the targets. Trossard put on that Arsenal title-winning confidence to good use tonight with a great brace too. He was excellent tonight. The cherry on top was Lukaku’s goal, as he came on as a late substitute to rescue the goal difference. And then Saelemaekers added the exclamation point. But overall, as far as Rudi Garcia’s entire team was concerned for tonight, it was a great performance from a national team, which finished in third place at the 2018 World Cup. Perhaps this is the start of a momentum for Belgium. 2. Jérémy Doku’s Return Ignites Attack After the birth of his first child, a son named Praise, alongside his wife Shireen, Doku’s teammates undoubtedly praised — sorry, I had to — his return to the lineup. The Manchester City winger often plays like a video game character, where his change of direction and speed can be a nightmare for any opposing defender. Garcia, therefore, made him switch from right wing to left with Trossard on the other side, and New Zealand just couldn’t deal with his trickery. He didn’t score tonight, but he didn’t need to. Doku is just a continuous weapon that does not stop to surprise you with his runs. When you have someone like him, everything becomes easier because he demands so much attention it opens space everywhere else. 3. Youri Tielemans And Kevin De Bruyne: A Brilliant One-Two Punch As a lifelong Aston Villa fan, you already know my thoughts on Tielemans, so it was disappointing to see him start so badly in this tournament, especially after having his best ever season in the Premier League and Europe. But Friday against New Zealand, he was fantastic as he played 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 because of him. Then there’s De Bruyne, one of the finest attacking midfielders of the modern game. He turns 35 on Sunday, but based on tonight, you wouldn’t have ever known, as he constantly penetrated the box and opened up 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 his movement. It is tremendous. 4. New Zealand Got It All Wrong — Until It Was Too Late In the first half, Darren Bazeley’s side had zero shots and only one touch in the box. It only managed 38-40% possession and just couldn’t create anything of value. It improved in the second, but it was too late. The strategy was also perplexing as it decided to sit back and allow Belgium to keep attacking the box with very little room to counter. It was the equivalent of a boxer asking to be hit with no plans to protect their face. I always felt that New Zealand’s best asset was its physicality and ability to hit opponents with the counter. It did not succeed in doing any of that tonight. Shout-out, however, to Elijah Just, who had a great tournament with three goals. In the end, Belgium was too strong, secured the win and finished top of the group. Now, it will have to wait another day to see which team it’ll face in the round of 32 in Seattle on Wednesday.