ONE TOUCH SUMMARY
- Belgium beat New Zealand 5-1 to secure top spot in Group G and a last-32 tie with Senegal.
- Rudi Garcia angrily rejected the 'has-beens' tag pinned on his Belgium squad by a Belgian newspaper.
- Kevin De Bruyne was likened by La Libre to a washed-up Hollywood actor after the flat Iran display.
ONE TOUCH INSIGHT
The 5-1 over New Zealand settles nothing. Rudi Garcia knows it, which is why his first instinct in the press conference was to lean into the microphone rather than the scoreline. A flat De Bruyne against Iran in Los Angeles is the data point that matters. A Group G rout of New Zealand is not the rebuttal.
La Libre's washed-up-actor line was cheap, but cheap isn't the same as wrong, and a manager defending his captain in front of the cameras doesn't move De Bruyne any closer to the penalty box. Senegal in the last 32 is a different examination entirely — no sitting off him, no time to pick the pass.
Top spot was supposed to buy Belgium an easier draw. Instead they get the tie that actually tells you whether this group is a spent force or simply under-worked. Garcia can keep both hands on the microphone. The ninety minutes against Senegal are the only evidence that counts.
WHY IT MATTERS
Belgium answered their critics with a five-goal statement and top spot, but the 'has-beens' label will linger until Garcia's side proves it against stronger knockout opposition than New Zealand.
TACTICAL FIT
Belgium's attacking output against New Zealand showed the side still functions when De Bruyne dictates, but Senegal's physicality will test whether the older core can cope across ninety minutes.
THE DEBATE
Is this Belgium side a genuine contender or just flat-track bullies?
AI-assisted · generated from The Guardian reporting, not editor reviewed
