Belgium routs 10-man Tunisia 5-0 in final World Cup warm-up as Doku and De Bruyne shine
Kevin De Bruyne and Jérémy Doku powered Belgium to a dominant 5-0 victory over Tunisia in Brussels on Saturday, the last test for both sides before the 2026 World Cup kicks off in the United States.
Belgium delivered a commanding performance in their final World Cup warm-up match, dismantling Tunisia 5-0 at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. The victory, which follows a 2-0 win over Croatia on Tuesday, sends Rudi Garcia's side to the United States with maximum confidence ahead of their Group G opener against Egypt on June 15.
Doku and De Bruyne run the show
Jérémy Doku was the standout performer, tormenting the Tunisian defence from the left wing. His trickery created the opening goal for Leandro Trossard in the 28th minute and later set up Kevin De Bruyne for Belgium's third. De Bruyne, deployed in a traditional 4-3-3 system by coach Rudi Garcia, delivered what RTBF described as a captain's performance, constantly demanding the ball and driving his team forward. His goal, a placed shot from outside the box in the 65th minute, was the 37th of his international career.
Kevin De Bruyne delivered a boss-level performance, hungry for the ball and exploiting every touch to bring danger into the opponent's box.
Second-half surge after red card
Charles De Ketelaere doubled the lead in the 53rd minute, heading in from a Youri Tielemans cross. Tunisia's task became harder just after the hour mark when Augsburg midfielder Ismael Gharbi received a second yellow card for a foul on Doku, reducing the Eagles to ten men. Belgium capitalised ruthlessly, with substitutes Dodi Lukebakio and Nicolas Raskin adding late goals in the 85th and 87th minutes. Romelu Lukaku, who played the final 25 minutes off the bench, provided the assist for Lukebakio's acrobatic finish.
- Leandro Trossard opens the scoring from close range after a Jérémy Doku assist.
- Charles De Ketelaere heads in Youri Tielemans' cross to make it 2-0.
- Ismael Gharbi receives a second yellow card; Tunisia reduced to ten men.
- Kevin De Bruyne scores Belgium's third with a shot from outside the box, assisted by Doku.
- Substitute Dodi Lukebakio scrambles in the fourth goal from a Romelu Lukaku touch.
- Nicolas Raskin adds a fifth goal two minutes later to complete the rout.
Lukaku's gradual return
Romelu Lukaku continued his careful reintegration into the national team, making his second substitute appearance in a week after scoring against Croatia on Tuesday. The striker did not make a single start for Napoli in Serie A this season, and Belgium are managing his minutes ahead of the tournament. His 25-minute cameo yielded an assist, though Portuguese outlet SAPO noted it was a somewhat fortunate touch.
Tunisia's muted response
Tunisia offered little going forward. Elias Achouri struck the post in the 58th minute for their best chance, but Thibaut Courtois otherwise enjoyed a quiet afternoon in the Belgian goal, adding another clean sheet to his record. Coach Sabri Lamouchi's side, which also featured Bundesliga players Ellyes Skhiri and the dismissed Gharbi, now heads to Mexico for their Group F opener against Sweden on June 15 in Guadeloupe.
World Cup paths
Belgium face Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand in Group G, a draw widely seen as favourable. Tunisia are grouped with the Netherlands, Japan, and Sweden in Group F. The 2026 World Cup runs from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
