Belgium secured top spot in Group G with a commanding 5-1 victory over New Zealand, setting up a last-32 clash with Senegal. Despite the convincing win, coach Rudi Garcia was quick to defend his squad against recent criticism, particularly an article in the French-language Belgian newspaper La Libre that compared Kevin De Bruyne to a washed-up Hollywood actor after a flat display against Iran.
Garcia Hits Back at Critics
“I really didn’t appreciate them being called has beens,” Garcia said in a post-match press conference. “When a nation has players of that calibre, you support them.” He praised his “four leaders” – De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, and Leandro Trossard – who delivered against New Zealand. Trossard scored twice, including Belgium’s first self-scored goal of the tournament after 45 attempts and over 200 minutes of play, following an own goal against Egypt.
The goals came after defensive errors from New Zealand, with Chris Wood and Tim Payne inadvertently marking each other, allowing Trossard to open the scoring. De Bruyne added a goal, Lukaku headed in 56 seconds after coming off the bench, and Charles De Ketelaere completed the rout.
Belgium’s Form and Confidence
Despite the undercurrent of negativity, Belgium have not lost in 16 months, since a 3-1 defeat to Ukraine in Garcia’s first match in charge. They have an unbeaten qualifying campaign with 29 goals, including back-to-back six-goal hauls and a 7-0 win over Liechtenstein. Garcia also has a healthy squad, with Jérémy Doku, De Ketelaere, and Lukaku improving fitness, and Zeno Debast available after a leg injury.
“We wanted to end first in the group and this is what we did,” Garcia said. “I wish we had won more games – all our games – but we are not going to go back to the past. What matters now is that we have progressed out of the group stage and we know that we are playing the strongest third-placed team.”
Senegal Challenge Ahead
Belgium remain in Seattle, where they have been based for three weeks, but Garcia downplayed any advantage. “It’s not a big advantage,” he said, acknowledging Senegal’s tough group that included France, Norway, and Iraq. Senegal are ranked 18th in the FIFA rankings, eight places behind Belgium.
Garcia has a personal connection with Senegal coach Pape Thiaw, having recommended him as a young player during his time at Saint-Étienne. “I was following young players and I told Robert: ‘You should have a look at this young Senegalese player,’” Garcia recalled. “But his career is something that he built – he was a wonderful player and now a wonderful coach. He’s a good man, but I’m going to defeat him, which is too bad for him.”
If Belgium progress, they could face the USA in the last 16, a team they beat 5-2 in a friendly in March. Garcia remains focused on Senegal: “If you want to go far in a World Cup you have to defeat good and excellent teams: Senegal is here and we want to progress.”
