What lies ahead?
A crucial match unfolds as New Zealand faces Belgium in the final group stage of the World Cup 2026. Both teams are eager for victory, making the atmosphere at BC Place in Vancouver electric.
26 mins: The match resumes with Belgium receiving a free kick.
23 mins: New Zealand gets a restart for an undisclosed reason. Crocombe sends the ball upfield, with Wood trying to get involved. A scramble ensues, prompting the referee to call the first hydration break.
22 mins: No penalty awarded! The referee deems that Surman’s arm was in a natural position, leading to a corner for Belgium.
21 mins: Is Belgium set for a penalty? VAR is currently reviewing a moment when the ball seemed to strike Surman’s arm while he was blocking Trossard’s shot. The referee signals and heads for the sidelines.
20 mins: Belgium comes close to scoring! A fantastic move initiated by De Bruyne sees him collect a pass from Doku at the center circle and drive forward to find Trossard. The winger cuts inside, preparing to shoot, but defenders from New Zealand manage to close down the angle, deflecting the ball over the crossbar.
18 mins: Belgium earns another corner, which De Bruyne plays short to Doku. The winger tries to cut it back to a teammate in space near the box, but Joe Bell intercepts and clears it away.
17 mins: The stadium bell rings out as Iran equalizes in the match running concurrently: Egypt 1 – 1 Iran.
16 mins: Belgium is applying significant pressure. New Zealand’s defense is packed into the penalty area as Trossard, Doku, and De Bruyne take turns attempting shots, with defenders blocking every attempt. The score remains 0-0.
15 mins: A slow-motion replay shows a near-goal earlier when Tyler Bindon managed to deflect the ball off the line with his shin—an incredible moment.
12 mins: Now it’s Kevin De Bruyne’s turn, skillfully evading a two-man press at the edge of New Zealand’s box and firing a low shot toward the goal. Max Crocombe reacts swiftly to parry it away, but fortunately for New Zealand, Mechele is on the ground instead of following up.
10 mins: HOW DID THAT NOT GO IN? A golden chance for Belgium as Leandro Trossard seizes a loose ball in the box and aims for the far corner. The ball hits the post and appears to hover over the line before a New Zealand player clears it. A quick VAR check confirms it did not cross the line.
10 mins: Belgium inches closer again! A well-placed low cross from De Cuyper heads toward the penalty spot, but De Ketelaere’s poor first touch sends the ball bouncing around. Despite the chaos, Belgium earns a corner.
9 mins: New Zealand struggles to escape their half as Belgium swiftly regains possession and re-establishes midfield control. The All Whites are double-teaming Doku on the right, leaving ample space on the left.
7 mins: Belgium is patiently passing around the upper left of New Zealand’s penalty area. Much of the play is orchestrated by Kevin De Bruyne, who attempts to send two teammates through on the left, but they hesitate, allowing Surman to clear the ball.
6 mins: The in-stadium bell announces a goal in Group G’s other match as Egypt leads Iran 1-0.
4 mins: Belgium registers the first shot of the match as a cross from Castagne reaches the top of the box, but Youri Tielemans sends his effort soaring into the stands behind the goal.
Andrew has written in with a prediction.
“As Aussie, would love NZ to sneak in 2nd in the group…to play us Aussies in the Battle of Oceania in R32.”
As a fellow Aussie, I’m all for it!
3 mins: The dynamic Jeremy Doku is on the ball for the first time, returning to the squad after the birth of his child. He attempts to feint past defenders on the right wing, but Liberato Cacace intervenes, allowing New Zealand to regain possession.
1 min: Belgium claims early territory as De Cuyper launches a long throw into New Zealand’s penalty area, but Sarpreet Singh clears it effectively.
Centre referee Adham Makhadmen, known for overseeing Cape Verde’s notable 0-0 draw against Spain, blows his whistle to signal the start!
Before kick-off, both teams and officials observe a moment of silence to honor the lives lost in Venezuela due to recent devastating earthquakes.
As New Zealand striker Chris Wood sings his nation’s anthem, appearing emotional in what could be his final World Cup, what’s your prediction for today’s match?
Can New Zealand emulate Cape Verde’s surprise and pull off a major upset? Or will Belgium find their rhythm and advance to the knockout stage?
Feel free to send me your thoughts via email at samantha.lewis.freelance@.
The teams are gathered at the center circle, ready for the anthems. New Zealand, true to their name, is in all white, while Belgium is dressed in their traditional red jerseys paired with black shorts and socks.
New World Cup star Tim Payne starts once again for New Zealand today, and a standout performance will only enhance his unexpected rise to fame.
Read below to discover how the tournament’s least known player became an overnight sensation, thanks to an Argentinian influencer.
Speaking of which, here are the teams that have advanced to the knockout stage: Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Morocco, USA, Australia, Paraguay, Germany, Côte d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Egypt, Spain, Cape Verde, France, Norway, Argentina, Colombia, Portugal, England, and Ghana. Meanwhile, the following teams have been eliminated: Czechia, Qatar, Haiti, Turkey, Curaçao, Tunisia, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, and Panama.
Not all matches on this final day are straightforward. FIFA’s new head-to-head ruling has created peculiar scenarios, leaving some teams eliminated before their final games, regardless of their outcomes.
For instance, yesterday, Turkey defeated host USA 3-2 in a match that ultimately didn’t matter. Tomorrow, England will face Panama (already eliminated) while Argentina takes on Jordan (also eliminated).
As discussed in the Guardian Football Weekly, potential unfair advantages have arisen, with certain nations entering their final matches with more information than others, which could influence their tactics.
In Japan’s last group game against Sweden yesterday, both teams were aware that the winner would secure second place and therefore face Brazil in the next round.
Similarly, in tomorrow’s match between Algeria and Austria, the stakes are high as winning could mean facing Spain.
What are your thoughts on FIFA’s new format? Has the head-to-head tiebreaker made for a more exciting spectacle, or has it diminished the drama of this final match day?
I invite you to share your opinions via email or listen to the Guardian team discussing the implications below:
New Zealand will likely regret not capitalizing on their 3-1 loss to Egypt. A remarkable headed goal from Finn Surman in the 15th minute highlighted the All Whites’ strong first-half performance, showcasing their defensive discipline and direct attacking play.
However, Egypt, led by their influential captain Mohamed Salah, rallied in the second half, scoring three unanswered goals to secure the top spot in the group.
New Zealand head coach Darren Bazeley lamented his team’s lackluster second-half performance, particularly after such a promising first half.
“We played so well in the first half. We scored a great goal, created lots of chances, felt like we were dominating possession a lot of the time in the first half, and we were comfortable. We weren’t really getting hurt. “We talked well at half-time, looked at some things we can do a little bit better, we went out second half and we just weren’t able to recreate the tempo and quality that we showed in the first half.” Bazeley remarked after the Egypt match. “We played so well in the first half. We scored a great goal, created lots of chances, felt like we were dominating possession a lot of the time in the first half, and we were comfortable. We weren’t really getting hurt.
“We talked well at half-time, looked at some things we can do a little bit better, we went out second half and we just weren’t able to recreate the tempo and quality that we showed in the first half.”
Belgium must elevate their performance if they wish to defeat New Zealand and secure their place in the next round.
Currently, they sit 10th among the 12 third-placed teams, with only the top eight advancing to the knockout stage.
In his match report following Belgium’s 0-0 draw against Iran, Ben Fisher noted:
Their record at major tournaments now stands at two wins from their last nine matches, with only one victory from the past six, achieved against Romania at Euro 2024. They have attempted a total of 38 shots in their opening two games in the U.S. without finding the back of the net, with their only goal coming from Egypt’s defender Mohamed Hany. The absence of Jérémy Doku, who missed out due to illness, was felt, while Romelu Lukaku, making his first start for club or country in over a year, struggled in the attack.
Head coach Rudi Garcia views today’s match as essential for his underperforming squad, though his cycling metaphor may not inspire the confidence he hopes:
“Sometimes when you have to win, sometimes that’s the best situation. Obviously, we had wished to start better. But, just like cyclists, we have to keep pedaling on and on and show we deserve to move on to the round of 32.”
Belgium has made five changes following their disappointing draw against Iran.
Timothy Castagne replaces Thomas Meunier at right-back, while Arthur Theate steps in at center-back for the red-carded Nathan Ngoy.
Hans Vanaken joins the midfield in place of Nicolas Raskin, Jeremy Doku returns to the starting lineup, replacing Alexis Saelemaekers, and Charles De Ketelaere starts up front, taking Romelu Lukaku’s spot.
Belgium’s starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Courtois; De Cuyper, Theate, Mechele, Castagne; Tielemans, Vanaken; Doku, De Bruyne, Trossard; De Ketelaere.
New Zealand has made two changes from their loss to Egypt: Tyler Bindon starts at center-back, taking the place of the experienced Michael Boxall, while Ryan Thomas replaces Callum McCowatt in midfield.
New Zealand’s starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Crocombe; Payne, Surman, Bindon, Cacace; Stamenic, Bell; Thomas, Singh, Just; Wood.
Belgium will secure their advancement to the next round with a victory over New Zealand, while the All Whites must win to potentially climb into third place in Group G (and hope Iran loses to Egypt to have a chance at second).
In today’s simultaneous game, Egypt will qualify with either a draw or win against Iran, while Iran will advance if they defeat Egypt.
- The winner of Group G will face the third-placed team from Group A, H, I, or J (which could be one of South Korea, Senegal, or Algeria).
- The runner-up from Group G will play the runner-up from Group D, Australia.
- If the third-placed team from Group G qualifies for the round of 32, they will face the winner of either Group B (Switzerland) or Group I (France).
Looking ahead to today’s match, New Zealand against Belgium has the potential to create history in various ways, depending on the outcome.
A victory for New Zealand would mark the biggest win in the All Whites’ World Cup history, and their first-ever win in the tournament. This is only their third appearance in the World Cup, having qualified in 1982 and again in 2010.
They lost all their matches in their inaugural tournament, but in South Africa, they achieved their best World Cup result to date, a 1-1 draw against Italy, allowing them to finish third in their group (Italy’s last tournament appearance, incidentally).
A win against the world number 9 team, Belgium, today could elevate this young New Zealand squad to unprecedented heights.
Belgium, on the other hand, is keen to avoid a different kind of historical low. This marks their 13th World Cup appearance, having debuted in 1930 and consistently participated since, achieving their best finish of third place in Russia 2018.
However, the team has experienced a decline since then, suffering a shocking group stage exit in Qatar 2022 and a round of 16 defeat at the 2024 men’s Euros.
A loss today would mark the first time in Belgium’s nearly century-long World Cup history that they have failed to advance past the group stage in consecutive tournaments.
Following today’s remarkable result for Cape Verde, anything feels possible.
History for Cape Verde!!!
The World Cup’s smallest nation has qualified for the round of 32 after a third consecutive draw, holding Saudi Arabia to a 0-0 stalemate in Houston, Texas.
As the final whistle blew, players sprinted to the sidelines to gather around the phones of their coaches, who were tracking live results from the other Group H match.
Slowly, as the final scores filtered through the stadium, players erupted in joy: Spain 1-0 Uruguay.
Uruguay’s defeat propelled the tiny island nation into second place in Group H, allowing them to progress to the knockout phase on their World Cup debut. Extraordinary!
This also means that both Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, who are set to host the next two World Cups, are OUT.
Cape Verde will now face title-holders Argentina in a classic David vs. Goliath matchup.
In a tense stalemate unfolding at this moment, Cape Verde has leapfrogged Uruguay and secured second place in Group H while holding off Saudi Arabia. Follow along to see if the World Cup debutants can extend their journey or if Saudi Arabia can find a late goal to secure second place.
As we await the New Zealand and Belgium match, Uruguay is on the brink of World Cup elimination, having fallen behind against Spain. Stay tuned to find out if they can equalize and keep their last-32 hopes alive.
Hello and welcome to the final match day of Group G, where New Zealand squares off against Belgium at BC Place in Vancouver. Kick-off for today’s match is set for 8:00 PM local time (11 PM EDT/4 AM BST/1 PM AEST).
This marks the third and final match of Group G, with all four teams competing simultaneously to determine who will advance from one of the most tightly contested groups in this World Cup.
Currently, only three points separate the top team from the bottom: Egypt (4) leads the group, closely followed by Iran (2), Belgium (2), and New Zealand (1).
While several other fourth-placed teams have already been eliminated before their final matches due to FIFA’s new head-to-head ruling, New Zealand still holds a glimmer of hope.
Their initial 2-2 draw against Iran, combined with Belgium’s two draws in their first two matches, means a victory for the All Whites today could see them surpass the world number 10 team and qualify for their first-ever World Cup knockout stage.
Belgium, for their part, currently sits outside the top-ranked third-placed teams after two disappointing performances against Egypt (1-1) and Iran (0-0).
They are particularly frustrated by their showing against Iran last week, where Nathan Ngoy received a straight red card, and a star-studded lineup failed to break through the outstanding Alireza Beiranvand in goal.
Both teams require a win today (though Belgium might settle for another draw) to progress to the round of 32.
In the meantime, Egypt is also squaring off against Iran in Seattle to determine who will top the group, securing an easier opponent in the next stage. Jonathan Howcroft is leading that live blog if you’d like to follow both matches closely.
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