Both sides came into their final group game knowing that three points would seal a spot in the knockouts, although the onus was firmly on Belgium, who were desperate to avoid back-to-back group stage eliminations at the WC.
As such, it was no surprise to see the Red Devils pushing for an early breakthrough, which almost arrived through Leandro Trossard, who flashed a close-range strike onto the inside of the post, only to see it cleared off the line by a well-placed Tyler Bindon.
Undeterred, Belgium’s pressure looked to have paid off when referee Adham Makhadmeh pointed to the spot after Finn Surman handled Trossard’s shot, but the defender’s hand was ultimately adjudged to be in a natural position as the penalty was overturned.
However, Belgian frustration didn’t last long, as soon after the first hydration break, the ever-involved Trossard capitalised on some unconvincing defending from a corner, lashing home the breakthrough from point-blank range.
New Zealand had netted the opener in each of their first two Group G encounters, yet they rarely threatened Thibaut Courtois’ goal in the first half of his record-breaking 18th WC game for his country.
And as the lowest-ranked nation heading into the tournament (85th), it was perhaps no surprise to see Darren Bazeley’s side fall further behind after the restart, unable to prevent Trossard from bagging a brace with a well-taken volley on the rebound following some neat footwork.
Looking to overtake group leaders Egypt on GD, Kevin De Bruyne then buried a low strike beyond the reach of Max Crocombe, putting the points beyond doubt.
With time ticking away, Elijah Just netted a consolation for New Zealand, burying a controlled finish for his third goal of the tournament.
But Belgium ultimately had the last laugh as Romelu Lukaku responded immediately by heading in Nicolas Raskin’s cross to become his nation’s all-time WC top scorer (6), and fellow substitute Alexis Saelemaekers guided in his side’s fifth goal of the night.
An assured victory sees Belgium take top spot in the group, with a 16-game unbeaten run sure to provide some positivity (W10, D6). It was always going to be a tall order for New Zealand, who last defeated a European side in 2010 (D4, L14) and have now lost 11 of their last 14 games (W1, D2).
The OFC representatives draw level with Honduras as the side to have played the most WC finals games without winning (D4, L5), finishing bottom of the group with one point as a result.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Leandro Trossard (Belgium)