New Zealand vs. Belgium Prediction, Picks, Lineups for World Cup 2026

Nerves will be through the roof when New Zealand and Belgium meet on Friday, June 26, at 11:00 p.m. ET on FOX (English) and Universo (Spanish). This match will be played at BC Place Vancouver in Vancouver, Canada, with a spot in the knockout stage on the line.

According to PrizePicks Team Picks, Belgium is a massive favorite with a 1.14x payout to secure a win.

On Matchday 3 for Group G at the 2026 World Cup, both of these teams need a win to ensure advancing to the knockout stage.

Below, we’ll break down our New Zealand vs. Belgium prediction and picks for Friday night’s World Cup 2026 match, including the spread, total goals, and key player picks for PrizePicks.

Make your New Zealand vs. Belgium prediction and World Cup picks on PrizePicks now!

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New Zealand vs. Belgium World Cup 2026 Prediction, Spread, Over/Under – Friday, 6/26/26

How to watch New Zealand vs. Belgium: FOX (English) / Universo (Spanish)

Kickoff Time: 11:00 p.m. ET

Venue: BC Place in Vancouver, Canada

Group: Group G

New Zealand began the tournament with a 2-2 draw against Iran, followed by a 3-1 defeat to Egypt. Although New Zealand lost by multiple goals to Egypt, they generated 11 shots and 7 in open play, per WhoScored.

In just their third World Cup appearance, New Zealand is hoping to advance to the knockout stage for the first time in their nation’s history. It’s going to take a valiant effort against a Belgium team that hasn’t lived up to expectations so far.

Before kickoff, there aren’t high hopes for New Zealand to qualify from Group G, with a 14.28x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks.

It’s safe to say it’s been a disappointing start to the World Cup for Belgium, who have scored the fewest goals (1) in Group G through their first two matches. To follow up a 1-1 draw against Egypt, Belgium experienced an alarming 0-0 draw against Iran.

Belgium was unable to finish against Iran, accumulating 23 shots (19 in open play) despite a talent advantage. On a positive note, Belgium could have F Jérémy Doku available on the wing after he understandably departed the team to celebrate the birth of his child.

Considering how these teams have performed so far, our updated power rankings have Belgium at 22nd and New Zealand at 38th.

New Zealand vs. Belgium: Favorite to Win, Spread, Total Goals – Friday, June 26

Belgium enters Friday’s game as the favorites, returning a 1.14x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks Team Picks. Meanwhile, New Zealand will look to pull off the upset as the underdogs.

Here are the full payouts for the New Zealand vs. Belgium match on PrizePicks.

Winner Payout: New Zealand – 10x | Tie – 6.66x | Belgium – 1.14x

Spread: Belgium -2.5 (2.17x Payout) 

Total Goals: 3.5 (Over – 1.72x)

Both Teams to Score: Yes 1.78x | No 1.96x

Payouts show potential returns on correct Team Picks predictions. A 2x payout returns $200 on a $100 entry. Lower multipliers reflect outcomes users are picking as more likely. Payouts are live as of writing and subject to change.

Make your New Zealand vs. Belgium prediction on spread or goals on PrizePicks Team Picks — available in 35 states!

New Zealand vs. Belgium Prediction on Spread for World Cup 2026 

Here are the key stats and trends for New Zealand vs. Belgium before making your World Cup 2026 predictions on PrizePicks.

• While Belgium has gone unbeaten in 15 straight matches across all competitions, four of their last five games have been decided by 2 or fewer goals.
• It’s been a struggle for Belgium offensively, ranking 37th in goals per match (0.5) and 34th in big chances created (3), per FotMob.
• Belgium has failed to keep a clean sheet in five of their last nine matches across all competitions.
• On the other hand, New Zealand is 20th in goals per match (1.5) and ninth in shots on target per match (6.5).
• Although New Zealand has lost four of their last six matches, they’ve kept it within 3 goals in three straight games.
• New Zealand has been solid defensively, sitting at 20th in clearances per match (24.0) and 15th in interceptions per match (9.5).

Lock in your New Zealand vs. Belgium prediction for the 2026 World Cup now!

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New Zealand vs. Belgium Lineups for World Cup 2026 – Friday, June 26

Here are the projected New Zealand vs. Belgium lineups for Friday's World Cup group stage match. Lineups are not official and are based on historical data.

New Zealand Lineup vs. Belgium Tonight

Projected Formation: 4-2-3-1

• Goalkeeper: Max Crocombe
• Defense: Liberato Cacace, Finn Surman, Michael Boxall, Tim Payne
• Midfield: Marko Stamenic, Joe Bell, Sarpreet Singh
• Forwards: Elijah Just, Chris Wood, Callum McCowatt

Belgium Lineup vs. New Zealand Tonight

Projected Formation: 4-2-3-1

• Goalkeeper: Thibaut Courtois
• Defense: Maxim De Cuyper, Brandon Mechele, Koni De Winter, Thomas Meunier
• Midfield: Nicolas Raskin, Youri Tielemans, Kevin De Bruyne
• Forwards: Leandro Trossard, Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Saelemaekers

New Zealand vs. Belgium Picks, Player Stats for World Cup: 6/26/26

Here are the top New Zealand vs. Belgium player picks to target on PrizePicks for Friday, June 26. Today’s World Cup 2026 picks are headlined by Kevin De Bruyne and Chris Wood.

New Zealand F Chris Wood vs. Belgium

Chris Wood Projections via PrizePicks: 1.5 Shots, 1.5 Shots on Target (Demon), 0.5 Goal + Assist (Demon)

• While Wood took just 1 shot against Egypt, he had 4 shots against Iran in New Zealand’s opening match.
• Of those 4 shots that Wood produced vs. Iran, 2 were on target.
• Wood has the third-most shots per 90 (2.5) on New Zealand’s roster in this World Cup.
• Although he’s known for his scoring, Wood paces New Zealand in chances created (5), including 2 assists against Iran.

Combine New Zealand + Chris Wood World Cup picks for bigger payouts on PrizePicks

Belgium MF Kevin De Bruyne vs. New Zealand 

Kevin De Bruyne Projections via PrizePicks: 3.5 Shots, 0.5 Shots on Target (Goblin), 0.5 Goals (Demon)

• While Belgium has looked out of sorts offensively, De Bruyne has taken at least 4 shots in each of the team’s first two group-stage matches.
• Further, De Bruyne has posted at least 3 shots in four of his last six World Cup appearances.
• The experienced midfielder has also logged at least 1 shot on target in seven of his last eight World Cup caps, including his two starts in the 2026 World Cup.
• The shot volume has been high for De Bruyne, and those chances could keep coming, as he’s second on Belgium in xG per 90 (0.31).

Combine Belgium + Kevin De Bruyne World Cup picks for bigger payouts on PrizePicks

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Make Your New Zealand vs. Belgium Prediction on PrizePicks

New Zealand and Belgium have their sights on clinching a spot in the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup. Will New Zealand keep this game close against a Belgium side that has fallen short of expectations?

Don’t wait until lock. Make your New Zealand vs. Belgium picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right on every World Cup game.

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