Belgium rout New Zealand 5-1 to win World Cup Group G

Belgium roared into the World Cup knockout stages with a commanding 5-1 demolition of New Zealand at BC Place in Vancouver on Friday night, claiming top spot in Group G and avoiding consecutive group-stage exits from the tournament. Simultaneously in Seattle, Egypt advanced past the World Cup group stage for the first time in their history after a tense 1-1 draw with Iran.

Red Devils Find Their Form

After two frustrating draws to open the tournament, Belgium finally clicked into gear against the lowest-ranked side in the competition. Leandro Trossard broke the deadlock in the 28th minute, poking the ball home from close range after Kevin De Bruyne's corner deflected off New Zealand defender Tim Payne. The Arsenal forward doubled the lead five minutes into the second half, collecting a pass from De Bruyne and volleying home after his initial effort was blocked.Sky Sports+1

De Bruyne then swept a low strike into the bottom corner in the 66th minute to put Belgium firmly in control. Motherwell's Elijah Just pulled one back for New Zealand in the 84th minute, momentarily pushing Belgium into second place on goal difference, but Romelu Lukaku headed in just 64 seconds after coming off the bench to restore the three-goal cushion. Fellow substitute Alexis Saelemaekers added a fifth in stoppage time to seal Belgium's emphatic victory before 52,497 fans.The Star+1

"This is what the oldies did tonight," Belgium manager Rudi Garcia said. "We can't say that we are fully into it but we are growing into it. We're gaining momentum".Sky Sports

Egypt Advance, Iran Left Waiting

In Seattle, Egypt took an early lead through Mahmoud Saber after just five minutes, with Mohamed Salah involved in the buildup. Ramin Rezaeian equalized for Iran in the 14th minute, and the contest remained level despite late drama. Mehdi Taremi hit the crossbar with a header before Shoja Khalilzadeh thought he had scored a 93rd-minute winner, only for VAR to rule the goal out for offside.The Star+2

The draw saw Egypt finish second on five points, level with Belgium but behind on goal difference. Iran ended third on three points and now face an anxious wait to learn whether they will progress as one of the eight best third-placed teams in the expanded 48-team tournament. New Zealand finished bottom and were eliminated.The Star