Belgium’s national football team secured a convincing 2-0 victory over Croatia in a friendly match held on Tuesday (2 June 2026), as both teams continued their preparations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The match took place at the HNK Rijeka Stadium in Croatia, where the Red Devils displayed their sharpness and composure to overcome the home side.

This intense encounter served as part of the warm-up series for both teams before the grand tournament kicks off. Interestingly, both Croatia and Belgium are widely regarded as two of the strongest dark horses in this year’s World Cup.

That perception stems from their impressive track records in recent editions — Croatia finished third in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, while Belgium achieved third place in the 2018 tournament in Russia.

In the upcoming finals set to be hosted across North America, Croatia have been drawn into Group L alongside England, Panama, and Ghana. Belgium, meanwhile, will compete in Group G against Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand.

Match Summary

Playing in front of their home supporters, Croatia began the game on the front foot, pressing high from the opening minutes. However, Zlatko Dalic’s side struggled to convert their dominance into effective chances, as their attacking moves were consistently thwarted by Belgium’s disciplined defence.

Belgium, on the other hand, looked far more threatening through quick counter-attacks. The breakthrough came in the 38th minute when Jeremy Doku produced a dazzling solo run down the right flank, cutting into Croatia’s penalty area.

His cross deflected off a Croatian defender and fell perfectly for Maxime De Cuyper, who quickly set up Youri Tielemans. Tielemans made no mistake, slotting the ball past the goalkeeper to give Belgium a 1-0 lead.

Trailing by a goal, Croatia ramped up their offensive pressure, but Belgium’s solid backline held firm until the end of the first half.

In the second half, Croatia continued to dominate possession and made several substitutions around the 58th minute to inject fresh energy. Despite their efforts, they failed to find the back of the net.

Belgium remained composed and disciplined, eventually sealing their victory in stoppage time when Romelu Lukaku scored in the 90+5th minute to make it 2-0.

The final whistle confirmed Belgium’s superiority as they walked away with a morale-boosting win ahead of the World Cup.

FT: Croatia 0-2 Belgium (Tielemans 38', Lukaku 90+5')

Line-ups

Croatia (3-4-2-1): 1-Livakovic (23-Kotarski 59'); 6-Sutalo (18-Jakic 71'), 22-Vuskovic, 4-Gvardiol (3-Pongracic 59'); 2-Stanisic (24-Pasalic 59'), 10-Modric (15-Pasalic 58'), 8-Kovacic (21-Sucic 58'), 14-Perisic (7-Moro 72'); 17-Sucic (9-Kramaric 71'), 16-Baturina (13-Vlasic 71'); 26-Musa (11-Budimir 58')

Coach: Zlatko Dalic

Belgium (3-4-2-1): 1-Courtois; 3-Theate, 24-Onana, 25-Ngoy; 5-De Cuyper, 8-Tielemans, 23-Raskin (6-Witsel 79'), 22-Saelemaekers; 11-Doku (26-Fernandez-Pardo 73'), 7-De Bruyne; 17-De Ketelaere (9-Lukaku 73')

Coach: Domenico Garcia