Belgium crush New Zealand to leapfrog Egypt on goal difference and finish top of Group G. Iran hold Egypt to a draw but are left anxiously waiting to see if four points will be enough to advance among the best third-placed teams.
Belgium saved their best performance for last.
Rudi Garcia’s side dismantled New Zealand 5-1 in their decisive Group G finale, overturning the standings and securing first place thanks to a superior goal difference over Egypt. After an inconsistent start to the tournament, the Red Devils finally looked like genuine contenders, producing a dominant display in front of goal.
The Kiwis defended bravely for nearly half an hour, with Michael Bindon clearing a Trossard effort off the line and Max Crocombe keeping his team afloat with several important saves. But Belgium’s pressure eventually paid off in the 28th minute when Leandro Trossard capitalized on a hesitant outing from Crocombe to break the deadlock.
The Arsenal winger doubled the advantage five minutes into the second half, before Kevin De Bruyne added a third with a trademark finish in the 66th minute. New Zealand briefly threatened Belgium’s hopes of topping the group when Elijah Just reduced the deficit six minutes from time, a goal that temporarily restored Egypt to first place.
Belgium’s response was immediate. Romelu Lukaku, introduced only moments earlier, needed just one touch to score his first goal of the tournament in the 86th minute, while Alexis Saelemaekers completed the rout deep into stoppage time after being set up by Lukaku.
Meanwhile, Egypt settled for a 1-1 draw against Iran in a match filled with missed opportunities and late drama.
The Pharaohs made the perfect start through Saber after only five minutes, but Iran had the chance to equalize almost immediately when they were awarded a penalty. Mehdi Taremi, however, saw his effort saved by Mohamed El Shenawy. The rebound eventually fell kindly to Ramin Rezaeian, who tapped home in the 14th minute to restore parity.
Iran pushed hard for a winner and thought they had completed a remarkable comeback in stoppage time, only for a goal to be ruled out for a marginal offside. Moments later, the Asians rattled the crossbar, coming agonizingly close to snatching qualification.
In the end, Belgium finish atop Group G with seven points and will now face one of the best third-placed teams in the Round of 32. Egypt also advance with five points, while Iran’s fate depends on the final standings of the remaining groups.
Match Report
New Zealand 1-5 Belgium
Scorers: 28′, 50′ Trossard; 66′ De Bruyne; 84′ Just; 86′ Lukaku; 90+4′ Saelemaekers
New Zealand (4-2-3-1): Crocombe; Payne (64′ Boxall), Surman, Bindon, Cacace (79′ De Vries); Stamenic, Bell (64′ McCowatt); Thomas (46′ Old), Singh (46′ Randall), Just; Wood.
Coach: Darren Bazeley
Belgium (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Castagne, Mechele, Theate, De Cuyper; Vanaken, Tielemans (85′ Raskin); Trossard (72′ Saelemaekers), Doku (56′ Fernandez-Pardo), De Bruyne (72′ Onana); De Ketelaere (85′ Lukaku).
Coach: Rudi Garcia
Referee: Adham Tumah Makhadmeh (Jordan)
Booked: Stamenic 46′, Just 56′
Egypt 1-1 Iran
Scorers: 5′ Saber (EGY), 14′ Rezaeian (IRN)
Group G Final Standings
| Pos. | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | +5 | 7 | Qualified |
| 2 | Egypt | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 5 | Qualified |
| 3 | Iran | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | Waiting |
| 4 | New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 10 | -7 | Eliminated |
