Belgium beat Croatia and stood out in another round of friendlies | OneFootball

The heavyweight clash went Belgium’s way, as they showed their class and managed to beat Croatia 2-0 in their first international friendly ahead of the 2026 World Cup, a match played in the port city of Rijeka in the Balkan nation. Take a look at all the results from this Tuesday, June 2:

After 38 minutes of the first half, a run down the flank by Jeremy Doku allowed captain Youri Tielemans to get in front of his marker in the six-yard box and score with a powerful left-footed strike. Croatia had great chances before and after the Red Devils broke the deadlock, but they could do nothing to break down Belgium’s resolute defense, with Thibaut Courtois between the posts. Deep into the sixth and final minute of stoppage time, a recovery by Axel Witsel allowed Hans Vanaken to put Lukaku through one-on-one, and with great class they made it 2-0, the partial and final score just seconds later.

Belgium’s national team celebrates Tielemans’ goal, which opened the win over Ecuador. (Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images)

Only one friendly remains on Belgium’s schedule, this Saturday against Tunisia before heading to North America, where they will be part of Group G alongside Iran, Egypt, and New Zealand. They are set to make their debut next Monday, June 15, against the Persian side.

As for Croatia, they will try to bounce back from the defeat and arrive at the World Cup in the best possible shape when they face Slovenia this Sunday. As for the World Cup itself, the team that finished third at Qatar 2022 and were runners-up in Russia 2018 is part of Group L, alongside England, Panama, and Ghana, and will open against the Three Lions next Wednesday, June 17.

Morocco also featured on Tuesday, shining with a commanding 4-0 win over Madagascar in Rabat, confirming they are one of the teams to watch at the World Cup after their historic fourth-place finish at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

In this way, the Atlas Lions are warming up for what will be a tough group stage in which they will open against Brazil (Saturday 6/13, 7 p.m.), then face Scotland (Friday 6/19, 7 p.m.), and finish against Haiti (Wednesday 6/24, 7 p.m.).

Another African team in action was Ghana, who drew 1-1 with Wales. The Black Stars struck first, but the Dragons (absent from the World Cup) managed a dramatic equalizer in Cardiff, a result that leaves a bitter taste for the side that — like Croatia — will be part of Group L. They will open against Panama (Wednesday 6/17, 8 p.m.), then face England (Tuesday 6/23, 5 p.m.), and close against the Balkan side (Saturday 6/27, 6 p.m.).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.