New Zealand v Belgium: World Cup 2026 – live

Key events

Speaking of, who is done to the past 32?
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.
And who has been eliminated?
Czechia, Qatar, Haiti, Turkey, Curaçao, Tunisia, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan and Panama.

Not each matches connected this last time are arsenic straight-forward arsenic this one, though. Fifa’s caller head-to-head ruling has created antithetic situations wherever immoderate teams are heading into their last games already eliminated from the World Cup, careless of their last results.

Yesterday, for example, we saw Turkey decision hosts USA 3-2 successful an yet inconsequential 90 minutes, portion time England volition look Panama (eliminated) and Argentina instrumentality connected Jordan (eliminated).

Elsewhere, arsenic the folks astatine Guardian Football Weekly discussed recently, immoderate perchance unfair advantages person emerged wherever immoderate nations participate their last lucifer time with much accusation than others, which could impact however they spell astir their games.

In Japan’s last radical crippled against Sweden yesterday, some sides took to the tract knowing that whichever of them won would decorativeness runner-up and truthful look Brazil successful the adjacent round.

Similarly, tomorrow’s lucifer betwixt Algeria and Austria volition spot 2 teams possibly trying not to win due to the fact that the victor volition person to instrumentality connected Spain.

What person you made of Fifa’s caller format? Has the head-to-head deciding origin created a amended spectacle, oregon has it taken the play and jeopardy retired of this last lucifer day?

Send maine an email and/or perceive to the Guardian squad discussing the ramifications below:

New Zealand, meanwhile, volition beryllium kicking themselves for not taking much from their ultimate 3-1 nonaccomplishment against Egypt. An fantabulous headed extremity to Finn Surman successful the 15th infinitesimal epitomised the All Whites’ ascendant first-half display, staying compact and disciplined successful defence and charging guardant with nonstop agelong balls and overlaps successful attack.

But Egypt, led by their talismanic skipper Mohamed Salah, came roaring backmost successful the 2nd half, coming from down to people 3 unanswered goals and rocket to the apical of the radical arsenic a result.

New Zealand caput manager Darren Bazeley rued his side’s mediocre second-half display, particularly aft showing specified committedness successful the first.

If they commencement today’s lucifer against Belgium similarly, they’ll request to find immoderate deeper resilience to support their momentum each the mode to the last whistle.

“It’s frustrating,” Bazeley said aft the Egypt match. “We played truthful good successful the archetypal half. We scored ‌a large goal, created tons ‌of chances, felt similar we were dominating possession a batch of the clip successful the archetypal half, and ‌we were comfortable. We weren’t truly getting hurt.

“We talked good astatine half-time, looked astatine immoderate things we tin bash a small spot better, we went retired 2nd fractional and we conscionable weren’t capable to recreate the tempo and prime that we showed successful the archetypal half.”

Belgium volition person to amended if they are to triumph today’s lucifer against a plucky New Zealand and unafraid their spot successful the circular of 32.

They presently beryllium 10th retired of the 12 third-placed teams, with lone the apical 8 progressing to the knock-outs.

As Ben Fisher wrote successful his lucifer study aft their 0-0 gully against Iran:

Their grounds astatine large tournaments present reads 2 wins from their past 9 matches, 1 from their past six, against Romania astatine Euro 2024. They person had a full of 38 shots successful their opening 2 games successful the US without scoring themselves, their sole extremity coming courtesy of the Egypt defender Mohamed Hany. They missed the vigor of Jérémy Doku, who was absent done illness, portion Romelu Lukaku, making his archetypal commencement for nine oregon state for much than 12 months, huffed and puffed successful attack.

Head manager Rudi Garcia surely sees today’s lucifer arsenic a must-win for his underperforming side, though I’m not definite the cycling metaphor is instilling the benignant of assurance helium thinks it is:

Sometimes erstwhile you person to win, sometimes that’s the champion situation. Obviously we had wished to commencement better. But, conscionable similar cyclists, we person to support pedalling connected and connected and amusement we merit to determination connected to the circular of 32.

Belgium XI

Five changes for Belgium aft their frustrating 0-0 gully against Iran.

Timothy Castagne replaces Thomas Meunier astatine right-back, portion Arthur Theate starts astatine centre-back successful spot of the red-carded Nathan Ngoy.

Hans Vanaken comes into midfield alternatively of Nicolas Raskin, Jeremy Doku is backmost successful the starting squad to regenerate Alexis Saelemaekers, and Charles De Ketelaere is up beforehand successful spot of Romelu Lukaku.

Belgium XI (4-2-3-1): Courtois; De Cuyper, Theate, Mechele, Castagne; Tielemans, Vanaken; Doku, De Bruyne, Trossard; De Ketelaere.

New Zealand XI

Two changes for New Zealand’s squad from their nonaccomplishment to Egypt: Tyler Bindon starts astatine centre-back successful spot of the highly experienced Michael Boxall, portion Callum McCowatt makes mode for Ryan Thomas successful midfield.

New Zealand XI (4-2-3-1) Crocombe; Payne, Surman, Bindon, Cacace; Stamenic, Bell; Thomas, Singh, Just; Wood.

So, what happens next?

Belgium volition warrant qualification to the adjacent circular with a triumph against New Zealand, portion New Zealand request to bushed Belgium to sneak into 3rd spot successful Group G (and anticipation Iran suffer to Egypt to perchance leapfrog them into second).

In today’s simultaneous game, Egypt volition warrant qualification with a gully oregon a triumph against Iran, portion Iran volition suffice if they decision Egypt.

• The victor of Group G volition past look the third-placed squad from 1 of Group A, H, I oregon J (which astatine this signifier could beryllium 1 of South Korea, Senegal, oregon Algeria)

• The runner-up of Group G volition play the runner-up of Group D, Australia

• If the third-placed squad from Group G qualifies for the circular of 32, they’ll instrumentality connected the victor of either Group B (Switzerland) oregon Group I (France)

Turning our attraction backmost to today’s match, New Zealand v Belgium could make past successful much ways than one, depending connected which squad comes retired connected top.

They mislaid each crippled successful that archetypal rodeo, but it was successful South Africa that they recorded arguably their top World Cup effect to date, a 1-1 gully against Italy, whom they leapfrogged to decorativeness 3rd (which was, coincidentally, Italy’s past tourney appearance).

A triumph against satellite fig 9 Belgium contiguous could catapult this breathtaking young radical of Kiwis to new, historical heights.

Belgium, meanwhile, are hoping to debar making a antithetic benignant of history. This is their 13th World Cup tournament, having debuted astatine the archetypal variation successful 1930 and been a regular beingness since, with their champion ever decorativeness coming successful Russia 2018 (3rd).

But the squad has dilatory regressed since past with a daze radical signifier exit successful Qatar 2022 and a circular of 16 decision astatine the 2024 men’s Euros.

If they suffer today’s match, it volition beryllium the archetypal clip successful the country’s astir century-long World Cup past that they’ve failed to marque it retired of the radical signifier successful back-to-back tournaments.

After today’s unthinkable Cape Verde result, it feels similar thing is possible.

History for Cape Verde!!!

The World Cup’s smallest federation has qualified for the circular of 32 aft a 3rd successive draw, holding Saudi Arabia to 0-0 successful Houston, Texas.

As soon arsenic the full-time whistle blew, the players sprinted to the sideline to stitchery astir the phones of their coaching unit who were pursuing the unrecorded results of the different Group H match.

Slowly, arsenic the full-time effect began filtering astir the stadium, the players exploded into joy: Spain 1-0 Uruguay.

Uruguay’s nonaccomplishment means the tiny land federation catapults up Group H and into 2nd spot, making it done to the knock-out signifier connected their World Cup debut. Extraordinary.

It besides means some Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, 2 nations who are hosting the adjacent 2 World Cups, are OUT.

Cape Verde volition present look title-holders Argentina successful a existent David v Goliath match.

Dailon Livramento celebrates aft Cape Verde suffice for the knockout stages. Photograph: Troy Taormina/IMAGN IMAGES/Reuters

In a nerve-jangling stalemate playing retired astatine the moment, Cape Verde person leapfrogged Uruguay and landed successful 2nd spot successful Group H portion holding retired Saudi Arabia. Find retired whether the World Cup debutants volition proceed their journey, oregon whether Saudi Arabia tin find a precocious extremity to leap into 2nd spot.

While we’re waiting for New Zealand and Belgium to gully closer, Uruguay are connected the brink of a World Cup exit aft falling down against Spain. Follow on to find retired whether they tin find an equaliser to support their last-32 dreams alive.

Preamble

Hello and invited to the last lucifer time of Group G with New Zealand taking connected Belgium astatine BC Place successful Vancouver. Kick-off for today’s lucifer volition beryllium 8:00pm section clip (11pm EDT/4am BST/1pm AEST).

This is the 3rd and last lucifer of Group G, with each 4 teams playing simultaneously to spot who volition suffice retired of 1 of the tightest groups of this World Cup.

As it stands, conscionable 3 points abstracted archetypal from fourth, with Egypt (4) starring the radical followed intimately by Iran (2), Belgium (2), and New Zealand (1).

While a fig of different fourth-placed teams person entered this last lucifer time already eliminated acknowledgment to Fifa’s caller head-to-head ruling, determination is inactive a ray of anticipation for New Zealand.

Their opening 2-2 gully against Iran, combined with Belgium’s 2 draws successful their archetypal 2 matches, means a triumph for the All Whites contiguous could spot them leapfrog the satellite fig 10 and suffice for their archetypal ever World Cup knock-outs.

Belgium, for their part, presently beryllium extracurricular the best-ranked third-placed teams aft 2 disappointing performances against Egypt (1-1) and Iran (0-0).

They volition beryllium peculiarly frustrated by their show against Iran past week, which saw Nathan Ngoy person a consecutive reddish paper and a broadside stacked with stars neglect to get past the stand-out Alireza Beiranvand successful goal.

All of which is to accidental that some teams request a triumph contiguous (though Belgium could settee for different draw) to advancement to the circular of 32.

Elsewhere, Egypt are besides taking connected Iran successful Seattle to find who could apical the radical and frankincense unafraid an easier hostile successful the adjacent stage. Jonathan Howcroft is starring that unrecorded blog present if you’d similar to travel on with both.