VANCOUVER, British Columbia — For Belgium, it proved to be 76th time lucky. Four years, 433 minutes and 76 shots on from Michy Batshuayi’s half-volley against Canada in Qatar, Leandro Trossard was the man to finally end his country’s FIFA World Cup goal drought.
The finish — a prodded effort from close range — will not go down as the most eye-catching in the Arsenal forward’s impressive collection but it will certainly be remembered as one of his most important, setting Belgium on their way to a 5-1 victory over New Zealand and thereby securing their passage to the 2026 knockout stages as Group G winners.
Having drawn their first two games — against Egypt and Iran respectively — Rudi Garcia’s side were in desperate need of some inspiration, with their only previous goal at this World Cup having come when Egypt defender Mohamed Hany bundled the ball into the back of his own net on Matchday 1. While any acclaim after Friday’s win in Vancouver will be tempered by the fact Belgium were facing a New Zealand team currently ranked 86 in the world, it is hard to escape the feeling that this was the night they finally arrived at the tournament.
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Following back-to-back lacklustre performances, a brace from Trossard, a silky second-half finish from Kevin De Bruyne plus late goals from Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers punctuated a much-improved display that should help boost morale ahead of a round of 32 tie against an as yet undecided third-placed team in Seattle on Wednesday.
For much of the last few weeks, it has been hard to conceive that this a Belgium side that only four years ago was ranked No. 1 in the world. If the World Cup in 2018 — when the Red Devils secured a record-high third place finish — marked a new dawn for Belgian football, then this was shaping up to be the summer that the sun well and truly set on the country’s golden generation.
Record goalscorer Lukaku has seen his involvement limited after an injury-hit season in which he failed to make a single Serie A start for Napoli. Midfield talisman De Bruyne has also seen his powers begin to wane as he nears his 35th birthday, while Belgium’s defence lacks the pedigree once imbued by the likes of Vincent Kompany, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld.
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Lukaku, De Bruyne and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois have between them amassed more than 2,100 competitive games and therefore it is perhaps no surprise that Garcia’s side have at times this summer resembled a team of conflicting identities — one whose aging spine has not been offset by a new generation yet to come of age.
Still, against New Zealand, Belgium were able to roll back the years, sparing themselves the ignominy of a second consecutive group-stage exit and offering hope there could be one final flourish from a team that stands on the precipice of a new era.
From the outset at BC Place, Belgium played with an intensity that had evaded them in their first two matches. Boosted by the return of winger Jérémy Doku — who missed the 0-0 draw with Iran after travelling to London for the birth of his first child — they had New Zealand under siege and thought they had won a penalty when the ball appeared to strike the arm of Finn Surman inside the box.
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The decision to award a spot kick was overturned following a VAR review but Trossard — who had already seen one effort crash off the post — gave his team a deserved lead in the 28th minute.
Garcia’s side went into the break having dominated the first half in every conceivable metric but their inability to put the game out of sight raised the possibility of a New Zealand upset. In the second half, though, Belgium’s superior quality won out, with Trossard’s volley adding some welcome breathing room five minutes after the break before De Bruyne arrowed a shot past Max Crocombe to put the result beyond any doubt.
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Elijah Just’s strike six minutes from time was the only blemish on a night that also saw Lukaku score with a thumping header just 56 seconds after coming off the bench and fellow substitute Saelemaekers add further gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time.
“There’s only one place where we can respond, and that’s on the pitch,” Garcia told Belgian broadcaster RTBF postmatch. “We were efficient, which is the big difference compared to the match against Iran.
“Scoring goals changes everything. We had the good sense to win by at least three goals. All the matches in this group were close. We finished first in the group, we’re staying in Seattle.
“I don’t know if that’s a good thing. It doesn’t matter, the main thing is to be in the round of 32. We can’t say that our World Cup has started, but I hope it will now pick up speed.”
Of course, Belgium will have to do more than beat the lowest-ranked team at the tournament to convince critics that they have what it takes to be a genuine competitor this summer. But, having been late to the World Cup party, they will certainly hope they can start making up for lost time.
