Belgium defeated New Zealand 5-1 in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on June 26. The game took place at BC Place in Vancouver, and the scoreline left no doubt about which team was stronger.

Leandro Trossard, a forward who plays for Arsenal, scored two goals for Belgium. He was the standout player of the night. FIFA match report confirmed the final score and Trossard's two goals. This is Trossard's second World Cup with Belgium's national team, and he played with the kind of smart positioning and accuracy that makes him dangerous at his club.

New Zealand scored once, which meant they avoided being shut out entirely. But the real story is the gap between these teams. New Zealand does well in games against other countries in the Pacific region, but the 2026 World Cup is bigger now—48 teams instead of the usual 32. That means facing countries like Belgium, which have more players to choose from and stronger teamwork overall.

Why the 5-1 scoreline matters: In group play, if two teams end up with the same number of wins and losses, the tiebreaker is goal difference—how many more goals you scored than you gave up. Belgium's +4 advantage from this single game gives them cushion going forward. Belgium's team has changed since their best years, when they had more famous players, but they still have talented attackers like Trossard and young players coming up. A five-goal win sends a message to the other teams in their group.

The match kicked off at 8 p.m. Vancouver time, which meant large audiences could watch on television in both North America and Europe at the same time.