New Zealand vs Belgium: 2026 World Cup Group G Preview
Belgium's golden generation face All Whites in a must-win Vancouver decider — full form, squads, and odds
Note to reader: The match referenced in this preview — New Zealand vs Belgium, 27 June 2026 — has already been played. The result is confirmed: Belgium won 5–1. The preview below was written ahead of kickoff (03:00 UTC, 27 June 2026) and reflects the pre-match state of play. It now serves as a verified match record and form guide for Belgium's knockout campaign.
New Zealand vs Belgium — Match Preview
Belgium entered their Group G finale against New Zealand at BC Place, Vancouver as commanding favourites, with a must-win scenario after failing to secure three points in their opening two fixtures. Kickoff: 03:00 UTC, Saturday 27 June 2026 (20:00 local time, Vancouver). Track live odds, in-play scores, and markets at the WeeBet World Cup hub, with a dedicated match page at /events/world-cup-2026/match/world-cup-2026-new-zealand-vs-belgium-2026-06-27.
The Belgians went into the match a surprising third in Group G after opening the World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Egypt and a scoreless draw against Iran.
New Zealand, meanwhile, arrived in Vancouver with zero wins and a single point from two matches. The Red Devils were clear market favourites — the gap in squad depth and FIFA ranking made any other outcome a significant upset.
Group G Context and What Was at Stake
Group G consisted of Belgium, Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand.
Heading into Matchday 3, the group was unusually congested: Belgium held three points on paper but had underperformed, while Egypt led narrowly.
New Zealand drew 2-2 with Iran in their opener and lost to Egypt 1-3 in their second match, with midfielder Elijah Just scoring twice across the two matches. Belgium drew 1-1 with Egypt in their opener and drew 0-0 with Iran in their second match, finishing their second match with 10 men after Nathan Ngoy was sent off in the 65th minute.
For New Zealand, only an outright win kept qualification mathematically alive. For Belgium, victory was the only result that guaranteed first place and avoided a fraught head-to-head calculation with Egypt.
- Belgium form (Group G)D D —Belgium
- NZ form (Group G)D L —New Zealand
- Belgium goals/game0.0Pre-match avg
- NZ goals conceded/game0.0Pre-match avg
- Belgium FIFA rank (Jun 2026)0thFIFA
Belgium: Squad, Form, and Key Players
Fresh from winning the UEFA Europa League with Aston Villa, captain Youri Tielemans led a 26-man Belgian World Cup squad bursting with experienced talent. Among the squad members were Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Napoli's midfield wizard Kevin De Bruyne, and Arsenal's Leandro Trossard.
This is, almost certainly, the last World Cup for Belgium's golden generation. Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois were all in Rudi Garcia's 26-man squad — one final shot at the major prize that the most talented group in Belgian history never won.
Kevin De Bruyne remained the creative engine at 34.
Operating as the number 10 after his move from Manchester City to Napoli, he arrived fit and was expected to start every game.
Romelu Lukaku carried the greater risk:
his season was wrecked by recurring muscle injuries, and Garcia trusted the experience of Belgium's all-time leading scorer, with 89 international goals, but match fitness remained the biggest question hanging over the attack.
Leandro Trossard entered as one of Belgium's most consistent performers going into the decider, having demonstrated sharp form for Arsenal during the 2025/26 European campaign.
Winger Jérémy Doku started for Belgium after missing Sunday's scoreless draw with Iran due to illness,
adding an attacking dimension that had been absent in the Iran stalemate.
The squad was set up by coach Rudi Garcia in a 4-2-3-1.
Garcia arrived in January 2025, following the inexperienced Domenico Tedesco's two wins in the Red Devils' 10 previous outings.
New Zealand: Squad, Form, and Key Players
Chris Wood and Tommy Smith were set to make history as the only New Zealand players to feature at two editions of the FIFA World Cup. Sixteen years after the nation's previous appearance at the global finals, captain Wood and defender Smith were among the 26 names revealed by head coach Darren Bazeley.
Chris Wood captained the side at 34, almost certainly for the final time. The Nottingham Forest forward is New Zealand's all-time top scorer with 45 goals from 88 caps.
However,
Wood was competing with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Erling Haaland, and Alexander Isak in terms of goals in the Premier League last season, but an injury this term meant he may not be quite as sharp.
Elijah Just emerged as New Zealand's most dangerous weapon in the group stage.
Just, who joined Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership last year, is a young talent capable of posing a threat on the wings.
He scored twice across New Zealand's first two matches.
New Zealand have never won a finals match. Their previous best came in South Africa in 2010, where three draws produced the only unbeaten group-stage campaign of the tournament.
A 16-year wait to return reflected brutal misfortune in intercontinental playoffs, with defeats to Mexico (2013), Peru (2017), and Costa Rica (2022). FIFA's decision to grant Oceania a guaranteed slot for the 48-team expansion changed everything.
Head-to-Head
The two teams had never met before
this fixture, making it the first-ever senior men's meeting between New Zealand and Belgium.
Head-to-head — New Zealand vs Belgium (all-time pre-match)
| Metric | Belgium | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| All-time meetings | 0 | 0 |
| FIFA ranking (Jun 2026) | 9th | ~100th |
| World Cup appearances | 15th | 3rd |
| World Cup wins all-time | Multiple | 0 |
| Goals scored (Group G) | 1 | 4 |
| Goals conceded (Group G) | 1 | 4 |
What the Markets Said
Live pre-match odds were available at the WeeBet World Cup hub. Belgium entered as strong favourites given their squad quality, FIFA ranking, and New Zealand's lack of any World Cup win in history.
Belgium entered the tournament ranked ninth in the world (FIFA, June 2026).
Belgium's golden generation played their best football between 2018 and 2022 and never won a major trophy,
which introduced a layer of doubt for event contract traders — a Belgian side capable of flat performances (evidenced by the 0-0 with Iran) created real value in markets around total goals and first-half scores. New Zealand's defensive resilience —
Belgium led 1-0 at half-time and the only query at that stage was how Belgium were only one goal ahead, such was their dominance
— kept the clean sheet market close heading into the second period.
Head to /events/world-cup-2026/match/world-cup-2026-new-zealand-vs-belgium-2026-06-27 for live odds tracking on Belgium's remaining knockout fixtures. All betting should be approached responsibly — set limits and bet only what you can afford to lose. Visit the WeeBet responsible gambling page for tools and support.
Result and Verdict
Belgium defeated New Zealand 5-1 to book their place in the knockout rounds of the 2026 World Cup, eliminating the All Whites from the tournament. The result secured the European nation's first win of the World Cup, as they finished on top of Group G in Vancouver. A double strike from Arsenal's Leandro Trossard and goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Saelemaekers carried Belgium into the last 32 in first place ahead of Egypt on goal difference.
Elijah Just scored for New Zealand, which needed to win outright to have a chance at advancing. The All Whites headed home without a first-ever World Cup win.
Belgium scored five goals which were more than enough to ultimately secure their spot at the top of the group, with Leandro Trossard being named Man of the Match.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did New Zealand vs Belgium kick off at the 2026 World Cup?
According to WeeBet live data, kickoff was at 03:00 UTC on Saturday, 27 June 2026 (20:00 local time in Vancouver).
The match was played at BC Place Vancouver on Friday 26 June at 20:00 local time.
What was the final score?
The final score was New Zealand 1–5 Belgium
, played as Match 64 of Group G at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Who scored for Belgium against New Zealand?
A double strike from Arsenal's Leandro Trossard and goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Alexis Saelemaekers carried Belgium into the last 32.
Did New Zealand advance from Group G?
No.
New Zealand were eliminated, finishing in fourth position on just one point.
Belgium topped the group with the crucial win against New Zealand, with Egypt finishing as group runners-up based on goal difference.
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