Fifa World Cup: How the All Whites players rated against Belgium

Saturday, 27 June 2026

ANALYSIS: Reality hit hard as the All Whites were sent home from the World Cup.

The gulf in class - and Fifa rankings - was glaring as Belgium dictated possession and territory in the 5-1 drubbing.

That left New Zealand with the solitary point from their opening-game draw with Iran in Group G, and bottom spot after twice leading Iran and also going ahead versus Egypt.

Here’s how the players rated versus Belgium:

Max Crocombe: Guilty of an awful error in not coming to claim the corner for Belgium’s opener. Unsure how he was viewed by coach Darren Bazeley as the better No.1 for all three games ahead of Alex Paulsen. 3

Tim Payne: Might fail his move to Paraguay medical after having his ankles broken by a Jeremy Doku dribble. Was better going forward but may have lost some Instagram followers. 4

Finn Surman: Another whole-hearted display by the centre-back, who again constantly threw himself into blocks and tackles. But for a second consecutive game, was drawn away from his opponent by a cross to concede a goal. 7

Tyler Bindon: Made an excellent start with some crucial interceptions, and a goal-line clearance, but got beaten a couple of times later and his distribution went amiss at times. 5

Liberato Cacace: His best game of the tournament. Stuck to his defensive tasks and aimed to get forward and supply crosses. 7

Joe Bell: Always tried - and often succeeded - to get on the ball and give his team an outlet and bits of possession before being subbed mid-second half. 7

Marko Stamenic: Chased Kevin de Bruyne around the park, which did not appear to be enjoyable. A slight lack of quality on the ball limits his impact at elite level. 6

Ryan Thomas: Gave everything in trying to spark the attack while not shrugging his defending duties. A shame his peak years were ruined by injuries. 6

Sarpreet Singh: Felt prior to kickoff that Callum McCowatt’s industry, and ability, may have been the smarter option than a player who had minimal impact on the first two games. Instead, was replaced at halftime by Jesse Randall. 4

Chris Wood: Lived on scraps, and must have been close to starvation at the final whistle. Ended the tournament without a goal and looked dejected by it all. 5

Eli Just: Lost his man defensively on occasions to make matters tougher for Cacace, but was once more lovely to watch on the ball and wouldn’t have been out of place in a red shirt. Capped his outstanding tournament with his third goal and may soon become a rich man. 9

Substitutes: Ben Old, Jesse Randall, Michael Boxall, Callum McCowatt, Francis de Vries.