In the final matchday of Group G, Belgium secured the group win with a convincing 5-1 victory over New Zealand. Meanwhile, the parallel fixture between Egypt and Iran ended in a 1-1 draw.
Belgium dominated the match in Vancouver from the outset. Leandro Trossard put Belgium ahead in the 28th minute, giving them a slender lead into halftime. The momentum continued after the break, with Trossard scoring again in the 50th minute, followed by Kevin De Bruyne in the 67th minute. Although Elijah Just managed to score for New Zealand in the 84th minute, Romelu Lukaku immediately replied. Alexis Saelemaekers made sure the score was sealed in stoppage time.
In the other fixture, Egypt took the lead within the first five minutes via Mahmoud Saber. However, Ramin Rezaeian quickly responded for Iran in the 14th minute. The game settled down after that, although there was some late drama when Iran seemingly took the lead only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.
As a result, Belgium tops Group G and will face a group third-place team in the Round of 16 on Wednesday at 22:00. Egypt, finishing as the group runner-up, must face Australia on Friday at 20:00. The Iranian side, having finished third, still faces uncertainty in the knockout stage. New Zealand has been eliminated from the tournament.
