Leandro Trossard struck twice as Belgium demolished New Zealand 5-1 to clinch top spot in Group G and march into the World Cup’s last 32, while the All Whites’ tournament dreams crumbled.
Belgium finished above Egypt on goal difference after both ended with five points from three matches, followed by Iran on three points and New Zealand on one. In the other match in the group, Egypt drew 1-1 with Iran. Belgium will next face one of the eight best third-placed teams.
“Hong Myung-bo resigns as South Korea coach after World Cup exit, while Belgium thrash New Zealand 5-1.”
“We have performed very well,” Trossard said. “We are happy now because we’re number one. Now we have to go to the round of 32, and we’re all ready to deliver.”
While Belgium celebrated, South Korea faced a reckoning. Hong Myung-bo resigned as head coach after the team failed to advance to the knockout stage. They had hoped to qualify as one of the eight best third-placed teams under the tournament’s new expansion to 48 teams, but that hope was quashed on Saturday.
Ranked 32nd in FIFA’s men’s rankings and led by star player Son Heung-min, South Korea recorded two losses and one win, finishing behind Mexico and South Africa, who are ranked 15th and 60th respectively. The early exit prompted widespread criticism at home, with President Lee Jae Myung calling for an investigation.
“We didn’t deliver the results that our fans expected,” Hong said at a news conference on Sunday. “Even though I am leaving the national team, I am not abandoning Korean football altogether.”
President Lee expressed “utter bewilderment at the unexpected outcome” and said the exit “appears to be a failure of organisation and personnel”. In a post on X, he added: “When favouritism and cronyism take precedence over competence in selecting a commander, the result is as predictable as fire burning paper.”
Hong’s appointment had been controversial from the start. The former defender captained South Korea to a historic semi-final finish in 2002 but failed to advance beyond the group stage as coach in 2014. When he was reappointed in 2024, it was met with harsh uproar.