A crucial match in Vancouver (6:00 a.m.) between New Zealand and Belgium for the third and final match of Group 7 in the World Cup.

These two teams are playing a “final” to determine who advances to the knockout stage, and both have their backs against the wall. This is because Egypt leads the group with four points, followed by Iran, which is tied with Belgium at two points. New Zealand is in last place with just one point, and only a win will secure their spot in the “Round of 32,” while De Bruyne and Lukaku’s team is guaranteed to advance with a win and, under certain conditions, even with a draw—though that scenario is highly unlikely.

For the nominal home team, this match is a huge challenge: New Zealand is the underdog and knows that only a win will allow them to achieve what they’ve never done before: advance to the World Cup knockout stage. Darren Beasley’s team is coming off a 3-1 loss to Egypt, showing numerous problems in their defensive play, which Mohamed Salah’s team exploited to the fullest. The 53-year-old coach has no absences to contend with, as he has his entire squad at his disposal.

New Zealand’s roster:

Goalkeepers: Max Krokomb (Millwall), Alex Poulsen (Legia Gdańsk), Michael Wood (Auckland FC).

Defenders: Tim Payne (Wellington Phoenix), Francis De Vries (Auckland FC), Tyler Binton (Nottingham Forest), Michael Boxall (Minnesota United), Liberato Kakache (Wrexham), Nando Pinaecker (Oakland FC), Finn Sherman (Portland Timbers), Callan Elliott (Oakland FC), Tommy Smith (Braintree Town).

Midfielders: Joe Bell (Viking), Matt Garbett (Peterborough United), Marko Stamenić (Swansea), Sharpit Singh (Wellington Phoenix), Alex Rouffer (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Thomas (Zwolle), Lachlan Bailey (Newcastle Jets).

Forwards: Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest), Eli Just (Motherwell), Kostas Barbarousis (Western Sydney Wanderers), Ben Wayne (Port Vale), Ben Old (Saint-Étienne), Callum McCowat (Silkeborg), Jesse Randall (Oakland FC).

On the other side, Belgium must secure a victory to avoid a massive embarrassment—which would undoubtedly be an early elimination from the World Cup group stage.

Rudi Garcia’s team, following a 1-1 draw in their opener against Egypt, played to a 0-0 draw with Iran, with their scoring woes remaining a major issue. In fact, the Belgians were forced to play with one fewer player for about half an hour in their previous match after Nathan Ngoy was sent off in the 66th minute.

The 62-year-old French coach will not be able to count on the suspended 23-year-old center back, with Belgium pinning high hopes on De Bruyne and Lukaku in this do-or-die match. As a reminder, Belgium was eliminated in the group stage of the 2022 tournament and now has the chance to salvage the situation and avoid another disastrous performance.

Belgium’s roster:

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lamens (Manchester United), Mike Penders (Strasbourg).

Defenders: Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting), Maxim De Keper (Club Brugge), Kony De Winter (Genoa), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Thomas Meunier (Trabzonspor), Nathan N'Goy (Standard Liège), Joaquín Seis (Club Brugge), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt).

Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Yuri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Atlético Madrid).

Forwards: Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Jérémie Doku (Manchester City), Matías Fernández-Pardo (Lille), Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Dodi Lukebakio (Sevilla), Diego Moreira (Strasbourg), Alexis Saelemaekers (Milan), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal).

Possible starting lineups:

New Zealand (Daren Beasley): Krokom – Casas, Boxam, Surman, Payne – Stamenic, Bell, McCuat – Singh, Just, Wood.

Belgium (Rudi Garcia): Courtois – De Keper, Mehele, Engoi, Menier – Tielemans, Raskin – Salemakers, De Bruyne, Trossard – Lukaku.

*photo source: AP