MUNDIAL·26

First Stage · Group G · Saturday, June 27 · BC Place Vancouver, Vancouver · 52,497 in the stands

kickoff 20:00 local · 15°C · 89% humidity · roofed stadium

New Zealand

84′ Elijah JUST (pen)

1:5

Belgium

28′ Leandro TROSSARD (pen)

50′ Leandro TROSSARD (pen)

66′ Kevin DE BRUYNE (pen)

86′ Romelu LUKAKU (pen)

90+4′ Alexis SAELEMAEKERS (pen)

tap a player for their match file

New Zealand4-2-3-1
Belgium4-2-3-1
Max CROCOMBE5.5Tim PAYNE4.8Tyler BINDON6.1Liberato CACACE5.9Finn SURMAN4.9Joe BELL6.4Marko STAMENIC6.8Sarpreet SINGH6.7Elijah JUST7.7Ryan THOMAS6.5Chris WOOD6.5Thibaut COURTOIS6.7Arthur THEATE7.4Brandon MECHELE6.8Maxim DE CUYPER7.6Timothy CASTAGNE7.1Kevin DE BRUYNE8.5Youri TIELEMANS6.7Hans VANAKEN8.4Leandro TROSSARD9.9Jeremy DOKU7.2Charles DE KETELAERE6.9
from the bench

match pulse — xG per 5 minutes · goals · cards

45′90′NZLBEL

goals — hover the strip for every shot and card, with names

  • 28′Trossard0.50 xG
  • 50′Trossard0.07 xG
  • 66′De Bruyne0.06 xG
  • 84′Just0.04 xG
  • 86′Lukaku0.52 xG
  • 90+4′Saelemaekers0.09 xG
NZL 0:0 BEL0'kickoff
4' Tielemans — xG 0.02 · Missed11' Trossard — xG 0.48 · Post12' Mechele — xG 0.07 · Blocked12' De Bruyne — xG 0.02 · Saved16' Trossard — xG 0.03 · Blocked16' Doku — xG 0.06 · Saved19' Trossard — xG 0.05 · Blocked28' Trossard — xG 0.50 · Goal31' Vanaken — xG 0.12 · Blocked39' Doku — xG 0.03 · Missed42' De Bruyne — xG 0.10 · Missed43' De Ketelaere — xG 0.20 · Saved45' Trossard — xG 0.02 · Blocked45 + 2' Vanaken — xG 0.03 · Blocked45 + 2' Theate — xG 0.11 · Missed47' De Bruyne — xG 0.03 · Missed45 + 3' Castagne — xG 0.05 · Missed50' Trossard — xG 0.08 · Blocked50' Trossard — xG 0.07 · Goal55' Just — xG 0.05 · Saved55' Payne — xG 0.03 · Missed59' Randall — xG 0.01 · Missed60' Theate — xG 0.04 · Missed61' De Bruyne — xG 0.03 · Blocked62' Theate — xG 0.04 · Saved62' De Bruyne — xG 0.06 · Blocked65' Fernandez-Pardo — xG 0.17 · Missed66' De Bruyne — xG 0.21 · Blocked66' De Bruyne — xG 0.06 · Goal74' Fernandez-Pardo — xG 0.13 · Blocked74' Onana — xG 0.03 · Blocked76' Just — xG 0.06 · Blocked76' Bindon — xG 0.05 · Missed78' de Cuyper — xG 0.10 · Missed80' Saelemaekers — xG 0.01 · Missed84' Just — xG 0.04 · Goal86' Lukaku — xG 0.52 · Goal90' Onana — xG 0.02 · Missed90 + 2' de Cuyper — xG 0.05 · Saved90 + 3' Theate — xG 0.01 · Missed90 + 4' Saelemaekers — xG 0.09 · Goal

▶ Watch every shot in 3D⟲ Replay the match

The xG race — cumulative expected goals, minute by minute

NZL 0:0 BEL
1.02.03.00′15′30′45′60′75′90′28' Trossard — GOAL50' Trossard — GOAL66' De Bruyne — GOAL84' Just — GOAL86' Lukaku — GOAL90 + 4' Saelemaekers — GOAL0.243.64

On paper vs as played — formation sheet vs heatmap reality

NZL 4-2-3-1 attack →, ← BEL 4-2-3-1 attack. The teamsheet, as announced.

1Max CROCOMBEMax CROCOMBE2Tim PAYNETim PAYNE4Tyler BINDONTyler BINDON13Liberato CACACELiberato CACACE16Finn SURMANFinn SURMAN6Joe BELLJoe BELL8Marko STAMENICMarko STAMENIC10Sarpreet SINGHSarpreet SINGH11Elijah JUSTElijah JUST23Ryan THOMASRyan THOMAS9Chris WOODChris WOOD1Thibaut COURTOISThibaut COURTOIS3Arthur THEATEArthur THEATE4Brandon MECHELEBrandon MECHELE5Maxim DE CUYPERMaxim DE CUYPER21Timothy CASTAGNETimothy CASTAGNE7Kevin DE BRUYNEKevin DE BRUYNE8Youri TIELEMANSYouri TIELEMANS20Hans VANAKENHans VANAKEN10Leandro TROSSARDLeandro TROSSARD11Jeremy DOKUJeremy DOKU17Charles DE KETELAERECharles DE KETELAERE

The duel — team data, FIFA tracking included

41%
Possession
50%
0.30
Expected goals
3.99
40
Threat
60
6
Shots
35
2
On target
10
379
Passes completed
475
32
Forced turnovers
44
19.0s
Ball recovery time
16.3s
5.35
High-press phases
4.28
5
Fouls committed
10
1
Offsides
1
118 km
Distance covered
120 km
33.7 km/h
Top speed
34.8 km/h

Territory — where each team lived

Every player's heatmap, minutes-weighted and stacked per team. New Zealand attack →, ← Belgium attack. Brighter is more presence; where the colors meet is the contested ground.

How it happened

  1. 28′Leandro TROSSARD (Belgium) scores!!
  2. ′Before the second half begins Ben OLD (in) comes off the bench to replace Ryan THOMAS (out) (New Zealand)
  3. ′Before the second half begins Jesse RANDALL (in) comes off the bench to replace Sarpreet SINGH (out) (New Zealand)
  4. 46′Marko STAMENIC (New Zealand) is booked by the referee.
  5. 50′Leandro TROSSARD (Belgium) scores!!
  6. 56′Elijah JUST (New Zealand) is booked by the referee.
  7. 56′Matias FERNANDEZ-PARDO (in) comes off the bench to replace Jeremy DOKU (out) (Belgium)
  8. 64′Callum McCOWATT (in) comes off the bench to replace Joe BELL (out) (New Zealand)
  9. 64′Michael BOXALL (in) comes off the bench to replace Tim PAYNE (out) (New Zealand)
  10. 66′Kevin DE BRUYNE (Belgium) scores!!
  11. 72′Alexis SAELEMAEKERS (in) comes off the bench to replace Leandro TROSSARD (out) (Belgium)
  12. 72′Amadou ONANA (in) comes off the bench to replace Kevin DE BRUYNE (out) (Belgium)
  13. 79′Francis DE VRIES (in) comes off the bench to replace Liberato CACACE (out) (New Zealand)
  14. 84′Elijah JUST (New Zealand) scores!!
  15. 85′Nicolas RASKIN (in) comes off the bench to replace Youri TIELEMANS (out) (Belgium)
  16. 85′Romelu LUKAKU (in) comes off the bench to replace Charles DE KETELAERE (out) (Belgium)
  17. 86′Romelu LUKAKU (Belgium) scores!!
  18. 90+4′Alexis SAELEMAEKERS (Belgium) scores!!

The morning-after column · AI-written from the match data

Trossard shines as Belgium overwhelms New Zealand

Belgium came to Vancouver not to compete but to dominate. From the 28th minute, when they scored first, to the whistle, this was controlled devastation. New Zealand never threatened: 35 shots to 6, an xG gulf of 3.99 to 0.3. The All Whites were suffocated in possession (41 per cent) and plagued by slow ball recovery (19 seconds to Belgium's 16.3). There was no drama, only the inevitable tide.

Leandro Trossard's 9.9 rating orchestrated the rout, with Kevin De Bruyne (8.5) and Hans Vanaken (8.4) in support. Belgium showcased clinical efficiency: three goals buried on shots worth 0.06–0.07 xG (50th, 66th, 90+4 minutes), not the quality of the 28th (0.50) or 86th (0.52), yet proof of ruthless finishing. New Zealand's sole response in the 84th minute carried just 0.04 xG—a charity goal that reflected the gulf. Belgium missed four big chances; few World Cup opponents would be so forgiving.

Belgium's 3.99 expected goals to New Zealand's 0.3 encapsulated a night of complete dominance in Vancouver—the gulf never narrowed.

28′

Belgium's opening goal ended any pretence of a contest and set the tone for a one-sided evening.

What New Zealand needed

Simply overwhelmed by a Belgian side operating in another dimension entirely.

  • Ball recovery averaged 19 seconds versus Belgium's 16.3: three seconds' lag cost territory and rhythm.
  • Elijah Just's 7.7 rating was bright spot in team that created 0.3 xG—outshot 35-6.
  • High-press phases (5.4 per 90) against De Bruyne and Vanaken only invited devastating counters.

What Belgium needed

Trossard's brilliance and ruthless finishing proved irresistible; four missed big chances could have cost them.

  • Trossard's 9.9 rating dictated Belgium's midfield tempo—without him, New Zealand's 41% possession might have threatened.
  • Three goals on shots with xG below 0.07 (50th, 66th, 90+4) demonstrated clinical edge over vulnerable opponents.
  • Belgium's 3.99 xG versus New Zealand's 0.3 reflected a chasm: one team created chances, one merely survived.