Belgium beat New Zealand 5-1 in Vancouver to reach the World Cup last 32. Leandro Trossard scored twice, with Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers also on target.
Belgium beat New Zealand 5-1 in Vancouver to reach the World Cup last 32. Leandro Trossard scored twice, with Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers also on target.
Belgium dominated from the first whistle and had a penalty overturned on VAR review after Finn Surman's handball was judged natural. Trossard broke the deadlock in the 28th minute, bundling home from close range after De Bruyne's corner caused chaos in the six-yard box. He doubled the lead five minutes into the second half with a chest-and-volley finish.
De Bruyne curled in a low third in the 66th minute. Elijah Just volleyed a consolation in the 84th, briefly pushing Belgium into the second place, before Lukaku headed in 64 seconds after coming on. Saelemaekers added a fifth in stoppage time.
Lukaku's 86th-minute header was his sixth World Cup goal for Belgium, taking him past Marc Wilmots' previous mark of five. The 33-year-old and De Bruyne both became the first Belgians to score at three World Cups.
Garcia used the win to address the negativity around his squad. "I trust all my players, and my leaders too," he told RTBF. "They've been heavily criticised and I think that's ugly. They've shown on the field that they are immense players and all Belgians should be proud to have players like them."
He singled out Trossard, who scored in both halves. "I know he's not very popular in the national team, but he responded on the pitch," Garcia said. "He's been the best Belgian player since the start of the tournament."
The coach pointed to efficiency as the difference from the Iran stalemate. "We were efficient, which is the big difference compared to the match against Iran. Scoring goals changes everything," he said. He also referenced his senior players: "This is what the so-called 'oldies' did tonight."
Trossard credited the wider group. "I think we have such a good group at the moment," he said. "The players coming from the bench, they are involved with goals and assists as well."
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois tempered expectations. "I don't think we have the same quality as in 2018, but we have a very good team," he said.
New Zealand's Just was downbeat. "It's really disappointing," he said. "We gave it a go, we kept it close in the first half, but I think when the game opened up they showed their quality and they deserve to go through."
Belgium finished level on points with Egypt but ahead on goal difference, the four-goal margin proving decisive. Egypt drew 1-1 with Iran, a result that sent Iran home.
Belgium play Senegal in Seattle on Wednesday, where they remain based. New Zealand, the lowest-ranked side in the tournament, finished bottom and head home without a point.
