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WORLD CUP 2026 · Saturday, 27 June 2026 at 04:00 BST
New Zealand
vs
Belgium

Match preview

Belgium enter as clear favourites, with the model giving them a 74% chance. New Zealand likely need an early goal or a red card to turn it.

11%
New Zealand
15%
Draw
74%
Belgium
Model fair odds
New Zealand
9.09
Draw
6.67
Belgium
1.35

Decimal fair odds from the model probabilities before bookmaker margin.

New Zealand
11%
Draw
15%
Belgium
74%
Elo rating: 1610 vs 1980 (-370)
Recent form: LLWLL vs WWDWW
Host advantage: Neutral venue
Model verdict: 11% / 15% / 74%
Most likely scores
Belgium 2–0 (16%)
Belgium 1–0 (15%)
Belgium 3–0 (11%)
Draw 1–1 (8%)
Why Belgium are favourites (74%)
  • Belgium carry the higher Elo rating (370 points)
  • Neutral venue — no home advantage applied
  • New Zealand mixed recent form (1W 4L)
  • Belgium unbeaten and winning in their last five (4W 1D)
  • Head-to-head treated as neutral — too few recent meetings to weigh (10% of the blend)

These factors combine to produce the 11% / 15% / 74% verdict above.

Expected match pattern

Belgium are expected to control possession and territory, while New Zealand will likely rely on defensive organisation and counter-attacks — a setup their recent results suggest they may struggle to sustain. An early Belgium goal would force New Zealand to open up, raising the chance of a multi-goal result; the longer it stays level, the more pressure shifts onto the favourites.

Expected goals: New Zealand 0.5 · Belgium 2.1

Quick stats

MetricNew ZealandBelgium
Elo rating16101980
Last 5 record1W 4L4W 1D
Goals last 5420
Goals conceded last 5103
Clean sheets last 503

New Zealand — last 5

  • L@ England01
  • L@ Haiti04
  • Wv Chile41
  • Lv Finland02
  • L@ Ecuador02

Belgium — last 5

  • Wv Tunisia50
  • W@ Croatia20
  • D@ Mexico11
  • W@ USA52
  • Wv Liechtenstein70

Head to head

08 Oct 2020
Belgium
00
New Zealand

Predictions are model output, not betting advice. The model blends an Elo rating, last-5 form and host advantage; ratings update after every tournament result, and fair odds and likely scorelines are derived from the same blend. Bet responsibly — 18+. See PuntHub for verified tipster services.