New Zealand vs Belgium
World Cup 2026 Group G has a surprising look about it, with the pre-tournament group favourites Belgium in third place after two rounds and when they meet New Zealand in Vancouver on Friday night, only a win guarantee Rudi Garcia’s side a place in the Round of 32.
It would be unthinkable in Belgium for the Red Devils to fall at the first hurdle after their team topped the FIFA World rankings for much of the past decade but, after drawing their first two games, fluff their chance in this third match, World Cup: New Zealand vs Belgium, and that bad dream may just turn into a reality. The Kiwis are manged by Englishman Darren Bazeley and they gave themselves hope with a 2-2 draw with Iran in their opener but after falling 3-1 to Egypt in their second match, they are rock bottom and need a win.
The New Zealand vs Belgium betting odds say the Red Devils will come through this test but, should the Kiwis still be in the game at half time then things will get very nervy indeed.
Talking Points
Doku is back for Belgium
One of Belgium’s brightest players 24 year old winger Jeremy Doku flew back home last weekend to be with his wife Shireen at the birth of their first child, a move which attracted some criticism in parts of the media, rather mean spirited you may think. Anyhow, the Manchester City star is back with his team-mates and ready to face New Zealand. And he’ll be a key player for the Red Devils if the Kiwi defence turns out to be stubborn, with his lighting pace, tricky feet and superb delivery. Striker Romelu Lukaku will certainly be delighted as he is most likely to benefit from the space and service Doku provides.
Lukaku made the goal which gave Belgium a 1-1 draw with Egypt, a decent enough result, but all of Belgium’s attacking players misfired in a 0-0 draw with Iran, which could have been even worse. Defender Nathan Ngoy was red carded for denying Iran a goal scoring chance and he will miss the game against the Kiwis.
The Red Devils are not alone in picking up disappointing goalless draws. On Tuesday England were held 0-0 by Ghana and Spain drew with the minnows of Cape Verde, but both the Three Lions and La Roja have picked up wins and that is a crucial difference. Now Belgium need their big players to stand up. Kevin de Bruyne had an injury hit campaign at Serie A side Napoli last season but he’s fit and firing and can be another man to open up the Kiwi defence. Someone needs to do it.
Can Wood fire up the Kiwis?
New Zealand started their campaign well enough with a 2-2 draw with Iran, as midfielder Elijah Just bagged a brace, though the Persian Cheetahs fought back twice to earn a point. But the Kiwis were overwhelmed in a 3-1 loss to Egypt and now they need some inspiration.
And that is most likely to come from Nottingham Forest centre forward Chris Wood who has scored 45 goals in 92 internationals to become his nations top scorer and highest cap winner of all time. A big bustling striker who can score with both feet and has a bullet header, Wood will leave nothing on the pitch, and the Belgium defence will not take any risks with the Premier League veteran.
History
The Red Devils have been at 15 World Cups, and their best performance came in 2018 at the Russia games where they reached the semi-finals, as the Golden generation almost fulfilled their potential. The Kiwis are at their third World Cup finals having participated in 1982 and 2010 where they exited at the group stage on both occasions.
Belgium have slipped to tenth in the FIFA World rankings, after such a long period in the top two or three but, despite making a poor start to this campaign they are unbeaten in 2025 and 2026, winning seven and drawing five. Over the past two years, in stark contrast, New Zealand have won just once, a 4-1 victory over Chile in March 2026, while drawing two and losing nine.
Betting Tip
At SBOTOP odds of 1.17 the Red Devils are surely nailed on to finally get a win at the 2026 World Cup and I fully expect the New Zealand vs Belgium highlights to be a case if attack versus defence.
New Zealand are priced at 14.00 and the Draw is 7.00 but I don’t see value in either of those options and my alternative bet is a 3-0 win to Belgium at a price of 6.50.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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