Belgium haven’t got it loose in the World Cup in Qatar. Certainly, it was a close 1-0 victory in the opening match against Canada – despite a weak effort.
The second match against Morocco saw a clear 0–2 defeat, with everything hanging on the final group stage match against 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia.
A victory was a must to play in the round of 16.
But then Belgium once again stood for a weak effort. After a goalless first half, attacking star Romelu Lukaku was substituted and created several hot scoring chances. Belgium, rocked this week by internal squabbles in the playing squad, pushed for a lead, but Croatia held out and the match ended 0-0.
The result means that Croatia goes through to the round of 16 and Belgium gets to book a trip home. A real miscalculation for a star-studded team.
At the same time, Morocco defeated Canada 2–1 after, among other things, a goal by the Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan. The result also sees Morocco, surprisingly, win the group with seven points.