‘Don’t judge us on tonight’: All Whites exit FIFA World Cup with chastening loss to Belgium
Saturday, 27 June 2026
The All Whites’ 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign is over.
They suffered a chastening 5-1 loss to Belgium on Friday night in Vancouver.
They were outclassed from start to finish and conceded their first goal in calamitous fashion at a corner.
They at least had something to celebrate when Eli Just scored a late consolation goal.
The defeat means the All Whites’ search for a first World Cup win has been put on hold for another four years.
At BC Place, Vancouver: Belgium 5 (Leandro Trossard 28’ 50’, Kevin de Bruyne 66, Romelu Lukaku 86’, Alexis Saelemaekers 90’+4) All Whites 1 (Eli Just 84’). HT: 1-0
“Don’t judge us on tonight.”
The All Whites’ quest for a first FIFA World Cup win and a first taste of knockout football has been put on hold for four years, after they suffered a chastening 5-1 loss to Belgium in their final group G match on Friday night in Vancouver (Saturday NZ time).
It was an ugly scoreline. One that needs to be viewed in the context of the fact that New Zealand needed a win to advance and were never going to stop chasing one, even after they fell 2-0 and 3-0 behind early in the second half. But an ugly one all the same, as they were outclassed from start to finish at BC Place.
Eli Just’s third goal of the tournament – and the team’s fourth, equalling their tally from their two previous World Cup appearances – made it 3-1 in the 84th minute, but two more followed after that for Belgium, who ended up topping the group on goal difference.
Egypt finished second, after drawing 1-1 with Iran, who now face a nervous wait on Saturday local time (Sunday NZ time) to discover whether they will make it as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
As for New Zealand, they finished fourth and will exit after the group stage for the third time, having previously done so in 2010 and 1982. This time they had one point, compared to three 16 years ago and none 28 years before that. Four goals scored, compared to two and two; 10 conceded, compared to two and 12.
Belgium were a class above Iran, who the All Whites’ drew 2-2 with at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in their opening match 11 days ago, and above Egypt, who they lost 3-1 to at BC Place last Sunday. Those were the missed opportunities that will sting as players and staff now go their separate ways, after first returning to their base camp San Diego, where they will say their farewells.
The All Whites took the lead three times in their first two matches, but never looked like doing so in their third, as Arsenal star Leandro Trossard led what could best be described as a rout, wreaking havoc alongside Manchester City star Jeremy Doku, who at one point left All Whites right back Tim Payne sitting on his arse with his dribbling threat.
Trossard had a brace – the first a gift at a corner midway through the first half that his marker, Liberato Cacace, put his hand up and took ownership of; the second a volley after his initial shot was blocked five minutes into the second. Kevin de Bruyne picked the All Whites apart and scored from the top of the box in the 66th minute, while Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Saelemaekers came off the bench to run up the score late-on.
Just’s goal came after a Jesse Randall corner was punched out to him by Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who he’d finally forced into action with his side’s first shot of the match in the 55th minute. His impressive tournament can be summed up by the fact that centre back Brandon Mechele sought him out to swap shirts afterwards. Usually it’s Kiwis going hunting, not the other way around.
Coach Darren Bazeley’s decision to retain Sarpreet Singh and bring Ryan Thomas in for Callum McCowatt in an effort “to help us get control of the ball” didn’t pay off as Belgium ran the show, only taking their foot off the gas once they had a lead. The pace of Ben Old and Jesse Randall was introduced at halftime – Bazeley said he had been hoping they would allow his side to finish strong – but Trossard’s second came five minutes after and effectively killed the contest.
That selection decision will be pored over in the days ahead – Tyler Bindon came in for Michael Boxall at centre back in the one other change – as the All Whites’ first World Cup campaign in 16 years is dissected.
One immediate takeaway is that it is a big step up to this level from the Oceania qualifiers and friendlies they have no choice but to subsist on otherwise. New Zealand Football is expected to take its time doing its own review, with Bazeley contracted through the end of the year and as many as six friendlies on the cards before then.
“The scoreline hurts, because it blows out,” Bazeley said afterwards, before making his plea to judge the team on the totality of their three matches. “We survived for a period in the first half under real heavy pressure … it was constant pressure from Belgium, and we couldn't get a foothold, but we survived with a lot of last-ditch defending and a lot of clearances.
“We needed to get to half time to then try and push in the second half, so conceding that goal, when we did, at a corner, it wasn't a great moment for us.
“I said in the press before [the match], for us to win tonight and qualify, we needed to be immaculate defensively, not make mistakes and there we are, halfway through the first half.”
De Bruyne delivered the ball from the left and it bounced through to the back post, where Payne had got in a tangle with Chris Wood as they tracked back marking the same man.
Turned around with his back to goal, Payne didn’t know what was happening as the ball hit him and fell to ground. Trossard had been wrestling with Cacace right in front of goalkeeper Max Crocombe and reacted fastest, smashing the ball into the roof of the net.
“We’re a team that's not going to sit back and just lose a game,” Bazeley continued “They do want to attack, they do want to try to get back in the game, and unfortunately, when you're doing that and you play against a team like this, it opens up spaces, and you can get punished.”
Deeper reflections will come in the days ahead, but Bazeley was able to take pride in the way the world No 86 All Whites had been able to express themselves on the world stage – in the draw with world No 21 Iran in particular, but also the first half of the loss to No 26 Egypt. Less so in being outshot 35-6 by No 10 Belgium in their finale.
“We've scored goals here. We've created chances against every team. We've looked a threat and that's positive – that's progress.
“We now need to keep developing, keep working, keep progressing until we become ruthless and clinical, and play that style as well.”