Belgium move into the World Cup round of 32 as Group G winners after a 5-1 win over New Zealand in Vancouver, easing pressure that had built from draws with Egypt and Iran, while head coach Rudi Garcia defends players who faced what Garcia views as harsh domestic criticism.

New Zealand exit the tournament after collecting one point from three fixtures, finishing bottom of Group G, and although the All Whites match their record for goals conceded at a World Cup, head coach Darren Bazeley stresses that the squad gains valuable experience despite the heavy defeat.

Garcia highlights how Belgium deliver their most convincing performance of the group phase when needed, as the Red Devils score five goals in a World Cup game for only the joint-second time, and the head coach argues that the players’ display is a strong answer to weeks of scrutiny.

“I trust all my players and my leaders, too,” he told Belgian broadcaster RTBF. “They’ve been heavily criticised, and I think that’s ugly. They’ve shown on the field that they are immense players, and all Belgians should be proud to have players like them.”

Across the match in Vancouver, Belgium register 35 attempts on goal, their third-highest tally in a single World Cup finals match, and the victory means Belgium go through a group stage without losing for the fifth time in six appearances at the tournament, underlining consistent performance at this level.

“There’s only one place where we can respond, and that’s on the pitch. We were efficient, which is the big difference compared to the match against Iran. Scoring goals changes everything. We had the good sense to win by at least three goals. All the matches in this group were close. We finished first in the group. The main thing is to be in the round of 32. We can’t say that our World Cup has started, but I hope it will now pick up speed.”

Garcia contrasts the cutting edge shown against New Zealand with earlier group games against Egypt and Iran, noting that efficiency in front of goal is the crucial change, and stresses that topping Group G is more important than stylistic debate as Belgium aim to build rhythm in the knockouts.

The defeat continues New Zealand’s struggle to progress beyond the group stage at World Cups, with the 5-1 scoreline matching the five goals conceded against Scotland in 1982, and Bazeley concedes that earlier matches in Group G, rather than the meeting with Belgium, decide their fate.

“I think when you saw the draw, and we knew we were playing [Belgium]last, you probably expected them to already be on six points and that maybe could work in our favour,” he told reporters. “We needed to pick up our points in the first two games, and we gave ourselves the opportunity to do that, but we didn’t take it. We tried to get back in the game.We weren’t going to just leave this World Cup defending a 2-0 loss, we wanted to try and score, to try and get back in the game.But unfortunately, we got punished a few times. Most of these guys will be back in four years’ time, and they will be better for it. They have to be better for it, if we’re going to get to where we all want to, which is into those knockout games. They’ll definitely learn from it. This is a great group of players that have got a really great future, a bright future, both individually at clubs and together. They’ll definitely be better for it because it’ll hurt, and it should hurt because we’re at a World Cup, and now we’re going home.”

Bazeley explains that New Zealand hoped Belgium might have already secured qualification before their meeting, potentially easing pressure on the Red Devils, yet New Zealand’s failure to turn earlier chances against Egypt and Iran into wins leaves the All Whites chasing the game and exposed defensively once they commit forward.

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For Belgium, the performance strengthens belief that the squad can handle external pressure as they advance to the round of 32, while for New Zealand, the loss confirms another early exit but also provides a reference point for a largely young team expected to return in four years with greater experience.