After draws with Egypt and Iran, a poll of nearly 10,000 Belgium supporters shows shaken confidence before the New Zealand match.
Belgium’s World Cup campaign has reached a nervous turning point after consecutive draws against Egypt and Iran left many supporters doubting how far the Red Devils can go.
A poll of nearly 10,000 respondents cited by Varzesh3 suggests confidence around Rudi Garcia’s team has dropped sharply. While 62% of voters still believe Belgium can get out of the group, that support is cautious: the prevailing view is that any qualification would be narrow and uncertain rather than convincing.
The concern is no longer limited to whether Belgium can win the group. According to the same poll, 32% of participants fear the team could be eliminated in the group stage, a scenario that would have seemed far less likely before the tournament began. Only 6% still believe Belgium can finish first in the group, once considered one of the team’s main expectations.
The shift follows a 1-1 draw with Egypt and a scoreless draw against Iran, results that have left Belgium with less room for error before its match against New Zealand on Saturday morning. Varzesh3 described the Iran result as particularly damaging to the way supporters now view the team’s prospects, not only because of the points dropped but because of the uncertainty it created around Belgium’s performance level.
The pessimism extends beyond the group stage. The largest share of respondents, 38%, said they expect Belgium to be eliminated in the round of 32, the first knockout round. Another 22% predicted a run to the round of 16, while 8% said they expected Belgium to fall in the quarterfinals.
Very few voters still see Belgium as a deep-tournament contender: 2% backed a semifinal appearance, 3% saw a possible trip to the final and just 2% believed the Red Devils could still win the World Cup.
For Belgium, the New Zealand match has become more than a routine group fixture. It is now a chance to steady a campaign that has already lost much of its early authority — and to restore some belief before the tournament moves into its decisive phase.
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