Leandro Trossard scores brace to keep Belgium alive in World Cup

Belgium’s World Cup campaign was circling the drain. Four consecutive matches without a goal across two World Cups will do that. Then Leandro Trossard decided he’d seen enough, putting two past New Zealand to drag his country back from the edge of elimination in Group G.

The Arsenal forward’s brace made him the first Belgian man to find the net at the 2026 tournament.

Breaking the silence

Belgium hadn’t scored at a World Cup since the 2022 edition in Qatar, where they crashed out in the group stage. Trossard’s two goals against New Zealand didn’t just keep Belgium mathematically alive. They broke a psychological seal that had been tightening with every passing minute of scoreless football.

Trossard has been Belgium’s most creative outlet throughout the group stage, creating a reported nine chances across the tournament, more than any other player in the group. His dribbling and ball recovery numbers have been consistently strong.

The Arsenal effect

Trossard’s club form at Arsenal provided the foundation, with the Belgian playing a significant role in the Gunners’ Premier League title-winning campaign. Working under Mikel Arteta’s demanding tactical system appears to have sharpened every dimension of his game.

At Arsenal, Trossard learned to operate in tight spaces, press with discipline, and contribute defensively without sacrificing his natural attacking instincts.

Belgium’s bigger problem

Group G, which includes Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand, was supposed to be navigable. Belgium entered the 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with the explicit goal of avoiding a repeat of their humiliating 2022 group stage exit. Instead, they stumbled through the early matches and needed a rescue act against what should have been the most beatable opponent in their group.

The golden generation that peaked with a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup in Russia is now fully in the rearview mirror. Eden Hazard is long retired. Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, while still involved in various capacities, are no longer the forces they once were.

Nine chances created across the tournament is impressive from one player. It’s alarming from a team perspective if no one else is contributing at a comparable rate.

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