Anyhoo, that’s the end of our live blog. Ben Fisher’s match report has arrived, so I’ll leave you with that. Thanks for your company and emails – goodnight.
I’m trying to think of strikers who have had an equivalent shocker to Lukaku at the World Cup. Even poor old Serginho didn’t miss that many chances.
Football is a strange game; if that first shot had been an inch to the left, Lukaku would probably be the hero right now.
Updated
“Afternoon Rob,” says Stephen Carr. “There’s nothing revelatory in the following statement but it’s one worth making nonetheless - Croatia’s midfield is bloody brilliant.”
Just lovely, aren’t they. Mateo Kovacic is such a good footballer.
Roberto Martinez speaks
We didn’t play well in the first two games but today we were ready, we created many, many opportunities. There are no regrets about today – we can leave with our head held high.
[Is the golden generation over?] No, no. You’ve got players like [Tielemans, Doku, Onana]… the golden generation can be carried on by these young players.
We wanted to go all the way, we couldn’t go out of the group. Today is a way to lose that you can accept.
[Do you want to stay as Belgium coach?] Now is not the moment.
Before this game, Lukaku had played only 38 minutes since August, and the BBC panel – Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer, Didier Drogba – all agree that his performance was full of rust. He also punched a perspex screen in the dugout on the way off the field; you can’t really blame him.
Updated
This was that last big chance for Belgium 🇧🇪
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 1, 2022
Romelu Lukaku just couldn't guide it home 😔
📺📻📲 Reaction on @BBCOne & @BBCiPlayer, listen on @BBCSounds and via the @BBCSport app#BBCWorldCup #BBCFootball
“Poor Lukaku,” says Jeffrey Lilly, “Four years, at least, of nightmares and what-ifs ahead. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
The cruellest thing is that he was finally about to score when Gvardiol made that incredible tackle.
It’s not certain, but the likeliest scenario is that Morocco will meet Germany or Japan in the last 16, with Croatia facing Spain in a repeat of the Euro 2020 quarter-final triller.
Then again, Costa Rica might surprise us all and win the group like they did in 2014.
Group F
Morocco 7pts
Croatia 5
Belgium 4
Canada 0
Belgium, don’t forget, are second in the world rankings. I don’t think many people expected them to win it, but even fewer thought they would go out in the group stage.
Toby Alderweireld is also in tears, and Thierry Henry is going round consoling a few of the players.
Updated
Morocco win the group, Croatia finish second – but the story of this game is Belgium, whose golden age is over. Poor Romelu Lukaku, who missed some unbelievable chances, is in tears. Most of the other players are sitting down, trying to process this crushing failure.
Full time: Croatia 0-0 Belgium
And Belgium are out of the World Cup!
Updated
90+4 min Belgium have 20 seconds to comply.
90+3 min Gvardiol is 20 years old. Spoiler alert: he’s not going to be at RB Leipzig next season.
Updated
90+2 min: Amazing defending from Gvardiol! A deep cross from the left ricochets back across the area towards Lukaku, who is about to leather it into the net from four yards when Gvardiol stretches to make a stunning tackle. Absolutely brilliant!
Updated
90+1 min Four minutes of added time. Croatia bring on Lovro Majer for Mateo Kovacic.
On that Lukaku chance, Dejan Lovren is so lucky because he made a Horlicks of a fairly routine defensive header.
90 min: Another chance for Lukaku! This is astonishing. Thorgan Hazard’s brilliant cross beats the leaping Livakovic at the near post; Lovren misses his header and the ball hits Lukaku, five yards out in front of a completely open goal, before rolling miserably into the arms of Livakovic.
Updated
89 min “When did the term ‘golden generation’ start getting so liberally applied?” wonders David Wall. “I first remember it used about that group of Portuguese players including Rui Costa and Figo, almost all of whom had played together in winning (I think) one of the World Cups at youth level.
“That makes sense, that specific group had actually won something, and then continued as a group into the senior side. But since then it just gets applied to any group of good players all around the same age, whether they progress through the age group teams together, and whether they ever win anything. All it does is create unjustified expectations.”
Funnily enough I’m researching this for the Knowledge. I also think it started with that Portugal game. I have a vague memory of Adam Crozier being the first person to use it in reference to England. All will be revealed in a future Knowledge. Wait, come back…
88 min That Lukaku chance was probably a bit harder than it looked. Even so, he has had two, maybe three, terrific opportunities since coming on at half-time.
85 min: Belgium substition The former artist known as Eden Hazard replaces Thomas Meunier.
87 min: Lukaku misses from four yards! Unbelievable. A cross from the left is headed up in the air and drops to Meunier on the right side of the area. He cushions it towards Lukaku, who can’t sort his feet out quickly enough and shins the ball this far wide.
Updated
86 min Nothing comes of the corner.
85 min After a mix-up between Gvardiola and Livakovic, De Bruyne’s cross deflects into the side netting. Corner to Belgium…
84 min Doku beats Juranovic with thrilling ease on the left, but his cutback is poor and Brozovic heads clear.
83 min Gvardiol’s inadvertent backpass is saved comfortably by Livakovic. Belgium want an indirect free-kick but it wasn’t deliberate.
82 min Croatia have kept Belgium at arm’s length for most of the second half. There have been one or two moments, most notably when Lukaku hit the post, but on balance Croatia deserve at least a draw.
81 min Kovacic wanders infield from the left and plays a superb pass to release Juranovic on the right side of the area. His cutback, alas, is dreadful, straight to Witsel.
79 min Perisic’s teasing cross is headed away crucially by Castagne at the far post. This is terrific stuff.
Updated
78 min Thorgan Hazard’s corner is headed off Pasalic and over the bar by Vertonghen. Anthony Taylor gives a goalkick, a decision with which Vertonghen is not entirely enamoured.
77 min A neat lay-off from Petkovic releases Perisic on the halfway line. He runs all the way to the edge of the Belgium penalty area but then dithers and it was tackled by Vertonghen. That was unusually indecisive from Perisic.
77 min “Commentators being very harsh on Lukaku on the TV,” says Richard Hirst. “He was on the half turn and had to keep the ball away from the reach of goalkeeper and defender; I reckon he did as well as he could.”
I mean, Gerd Muller would have scored it, but I know what you mean. It wasn’t an open goal.
77 min “Croatia might want to consider scoring and putting Belgium to bed,” says Mary Waltz. “Croatia is the better team but KDB and a real target striker is a scary thing.”
76 min Perisic does absurdly well to win the ball near the byline and find Petkovic, but his shot is blocked.
75 min Croatia look reasonably comfortable just now, though the mood can change very quickly in a match like this.
74 min What a time this would be for Kevin De Bruyne to assert his greatness. Though there are exceptions, most notably against Brazil in 2018, he hasn’t always been brilliant in the stratospheric matches.
Updated
72 min: Double substitution for Belgium Youri Tielemans and Jeremy Doku replace Leander Dendoncker and Yannick Carrasco.
71 min Croatia’s midfield three have kept the ball beautifully at times in the second half.
70 min Romelu Lukaku is a strange mix of the unstoppable and the vulnerable. At his best he’s frightening, but most of Belgium’s exits from major tournaments have involved him missing a sitter.
69 min De Bruyne clips a rising drive on the run from an absurd angle. Livakovic’s positioning is good and he saves comfortably.
68 min Courtois leaps to his left to make a comfortable save from Modric, who did well to improvise a flicked shot from just inside the area.
67 min Dendoncker is booked for a foul on the increasingly influential Kovacic.
67 min Here’s Big Rom’s first chance.
Romelu Lukaku can't believe it! 😲
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 1, 2022
The post denies 🇧🇪 Belgium a crucial goal ❌😬
🚨 Warning signs for Croatia! 🚨
📺📻📲 Watch on @BBCOne & @BBCiPlayer, listen on @BBCSounds and via the @BBCSport app#BBCWorldCup #BBCFootball
66 min “A 104-game World Cup,” muses Chris Ward. “Why not just go the whole hog and turn it into a Swiss league format?”
65 min The first half was almost entirely malodorous, but it’s a cracking game now.
64 min: Double substitution for Croatia Mario Pasalic and Bruno Petkovic replace Andrej Kramaric and Marko Livaja.
62 min: Another chance for Lukaku! De Bruyne’s cross from the left nicks off the head of Lovren, taking Livakovic out of the game in the process, and is headed over an open goal by Lukaku. That really was a sitter, although I’m not sure it would have counted – it looked like the ball was out of play before De Bruyne crossed it.
Updated
61 min: Lukaku hits the post! What a chance for Belgium! De Bruyne put Carrasco through on goal with a subtle, angled through pass. His shot was blocked brilliantly by Juranovic, stretching just in front of the goalkeeper, and Lukaku slapped the loose ball off the inside of the near post! It wasn’t an open goal – the keeper Livakovic was back on his feet and there was a defender nearby as well – but it was still a helluva chance.
Updated
60 min “I certainly understand the logic behind keeping the World Cup at 32 teams,” says Matt Burtz. “However, I do think its expansion to 48 is beneficial. There are currently 211 FIFA member nations, so even with the expansion not even a quarter of nations will qualify. It’s not like the Faroe Islands are going to be up against Brazil.
“Also, if this World Cup has shown anything, it’s that so-called lightweights can certainly mix it up with the big boys. Almost everyone agrees that Africa is underrepresented, and South America could absolutely merit another team or two coming in. Throw in a few more from Europe and I say you have a pretty good mix.”
One hundred and four games though. I’m still in therapy for the 2007 cricket World Cup, which went on forever.
Updated
59 min: Belgium substitution Leandro Trossard is replaced by Thorgan Hazard.
57 min Croatia are much the better team at the moment. They work the ball nicely through midfield again, but then Sosa overhits his cross.
57 min “Right idea to ditch the pointless groups of three bonfire of a plan,” says Steve Murray. “But wrong to put the best eight third-placed teams into a knockout round of 32. Far better to send the top two from each group through but to give the top eight a bye. The remaining 16 would play off to reach the last 16 proper against the best eight. Would mean no second strings for the final group games as they’d be playing for a few extra days’ rest.”
Though I like the logic, that sounds a bit too much like the IPL. Then again I suppose you could say that about the best third-placed teams going through. I’m sure we agree on one thing: 104 games is no way to treat your golden goose.
Updated
54 min: Two more good saves from Courtois! This is a decent game now. Brozovic curls a low shot from 20 yards that is shovelled away by Courtois, plunging to his right. Moments later he makes his third good save of the half, again diving low to his right to push away Modric’s left-footed shot.
Updated
51 min After good hold-up play from Lukaku, who looks sharp and up for it, De Bruyne shoots over from 20 yards with his left foot.
50 min The corner is taken short and half cleared to Sosa, who blisters a half volley over the bar from distance.
50 min: Good save from Courtois! They were almost two goals away. Gvardiol rumbled forward and stabbed a pass to Kovacic just inside the area. He took a touch and spanked a rising drive that was pawed over the bar by Courtois. A good save, though one he’d expect to make.
Updated
50 min For all the doom, gloom and ageism, Belgium are one goal away from the last 16.
49 min De Bruyne stands up a deep cross that is headed straight at Livakovic by Lukaku. To be honest he did well just to win the header.
Updated
48 min De Bruyne makes just another space to put in a wicked cross from the right. Gvardiol leaps to shin it behind for a corner, an important interception with Lukaku waiting behind him.
46 min Peep peep! Belgium have made a half-time substitution: Romelu Lukaku replaces Dries Mertens.
“This is drek,” says Joe Pearson. “On this evidence I don’t want either of these teams to progress.”
I don’t really blame Croatia, as they only need a draw, although they’ll regret their passivity if Big Rom scores a 114th-minute winner.
Updated
Half time: Croatia 0-0 Belgium
As things stand, Belgium are going of the World Cup with a whimper. They created only one clear chance, missed by Dries Mertens, in a bloodless first half. Still, it could have been worse: Anthony Taylor award Croatia a penalty for a foul by Yannick Carrasco, only to change his mind after a VAR intervention.
Updated
Half-time reading
I mean, it’s probably preferable to groups of three, but it still reeks of avarice, fatigue and mismatches. One hundred and four games.
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45+4 min Juranovic smashes a volley wide from the edge of the area, the last touch of the kind of half that gives 0-0s a bad name.
45+2 min “As the mind wanders during the first half, I got to thinking that when you see close-ups of Luka Modrić you get the sense that he’s the most haggard-looking 16-year-old the world has ever seen,” says Charles Antaki. “Luis Enrique has the same fleshless look, but seems a good 50 years older, and also somehow much fitter. Oh and now a shot on, or at least near, goal.”
Updated
45 min Four minutes of added time.
45 min At the other end, Sosa has a pop from distance, and unwittingly homages his namesake.
44 min A lovely low cross from De Bruyne is well claimed by the diving Livakovic. That was crying out for someone like Romelu Lukaku at the near post, but Mertens was slightly on his heels.
43 min It’s Croatia 0-0 Belgium, and that’s the shots on target.
42 min Better from Belgium. Dendoncker beats a defender in the area, gets to the byline and cuts the ball back towards Mertens in the six-yard box. He can’t quite there and the ball runs across the area to safety.
41 min Canada have pulled one back against Morocco. If they get five more, Belgium will go through.
41 min A reminder that the winner of this game will play Spain, Germany, Japan or Costa Rica. As things stand it would be Spain but that is entirely irrelevant so I’m not sure why I posted it.
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40 min A precis of the excitement in the last 20 minutes:
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39 min “Poor Belgium really need a mate to tell them that flames on your clothes don’t make you look cool,” says Josse McMahon.
You say that, but Japan managed it.
Japan's crazy 90s designs
— Classic Football Shirts (@classicshirts) August 14, 2020
Did you know that the Japanese FA designed the nation team shirts in the 90s and not the manufacturers? Watch to hear the full story!
Let us know which you prefer, the crazy pattern shirt or the flames kit? pic.twitter.com/VG6zSwLfru
37 min I wonder how fit Romelu Lukaku is. We might see him at half-time, because playing Leandro Trossard as a No9 hasn’t worked so far.
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37 min “Whatever the outcome of this exciting encounter, I’m delighted that Dries Mertens (a former Napoli player who enjoyed cult status in Naples and a special relationship with the fans, earning the nickname Ciro) has been chosen ahead of the mighty Eden Hazard,” says Colum Fordham. “At the age of 35, I think we can safely say it is Mertens’ last iteration in this tournament and he deserves his chance. A fast, quick-witted player who became Napoli’s top goalscorer (148), ahead of one Diego Armando Maradona (115).”
36 min Belgium are having a lot of the ball, but their passing has been so slow.
34 min “In fairness to Croatia,” says Justin Kavanagh, “I’m sure all Liverpool fans will agree that it’s not often Lovren is caught interfering with play.”
33 min Sosa’s deep cross is headed just over by the backpedalling Livaja, a decent effort in the circumstances. He did well to loop it back across goal but couldn’t drop it under the bar.
31 min This is really dull. I blame Dejan Lovren for being a micrometre offside.
Croatia think they have a penalty, but it's referred to VAR 🎥
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 1, 2022
The decision is then made that it's actually offside! 👀
🇭🇷 0-0 🇧🇪
🖥📻📱 Watch on @BBCOne and @BBCiPlayer, plus follow on @BBCSounds and via the @BBCSport app #BBCWorldCup #BBCFootball
29 min “Has anyone done the math (as they say here in the US of A) on the number of caps on display here?” says Chris Willimer. “Modric has 157, Vertinghon on 144, Alderweireld 126, Perisic 118. De Bruyne has 97, even Lovren has 74. Is this the most decorated match ever?”
Good question. I might nick that for next week’s Knowledge. I know that all seven Belgian players with 100 caps are in their squad, though Lukaku and Eden Hazard are on the bench.
27 min Modric’s corner is headed away by Witsel. The game hasn’t got going at all since Anthony Taylor reversed his penalty decision.
Today's @guardian_sport Football Weekly@bglendenning @archiert1 @larssivertsen @JFfutbol
— Max Rushden 💛🖤 (@maxrushden) December 1, 2022
Any questions?
25 min As things stand Morocco will win the group, and probably avoid Spain in the second round. They could well have a 1986 rematch with Germany.
25 min “Rules are rules and all that, but in that move, essentially what happened was one player fouled another in the area,” says Ant Ashworth. “Penalty. He gained no advantage from being that offside position, really. All this is sucking much of the joy out of football.”
Yes, there is a concern that VAR has made us even more pedantic. I think I preferred it when you had to touch the ball, or invading the goalkeeper’s personal space, to be offside.
24 min Morocco are now 2-0 up against Canada. That means this game is a fight to the death. Belgium need a win, Croatia will go through with a draw.
23 min That VAR delay has taken the heat out of a game that was warming up nicely.
21 min Anyway, as you were. It was Lovren who was adjudged offside. Croatia might argue that Vertonghen won the header anyway, so Lovren didn’t impact the play. I can see both sides!
It was also a spandex-tight offside, so I can understand why Croatia are hacked off.
Updated
NO PENALTY! It’s offside! It wasn’t Kramaric, it was another player, possibly Lovren. He didn’t touch the ball but he did challenge with Vertonghen.
The BBC commentators don’t understand why Anthony Taylor went to the monitor, when offsides are supposed to be automated, but it’s pretty clear – they wanted him to decide whether Lovren (or whoever it was) was interfering with play.
I’d happily put VAR in a shallow grave but the procedure there was perfectly fine.
Updated
Vertonghen originally headed Modric’s free-kick away, under pressure from Kramaric, who was in an offside position when the free-kick was taken. Anthony Taylor is going to the monitor to decide whether Kramaric was interfering with play.
Updated
VAR check I think this might be offside you know.
Modric’s free-kick wasn’t properly cleared, and Carrasco dangled a lazy leg in the direction of Kramaric. He felt the contact and went down, and Anthony Taylor had no choice.
Updated
15 min: PENALTY TO CROATIA! Oh dear.
13 min: Chance for Mertens! Belgium are playing well here. De Bruyne leads a counter-attack, running 50 yards before angling a through pass to Mertens. He runs round the ball, just inside the area, but curls high and wide. That was a terrific chance.
12 min: Good save! Mertens gets round the back on the right and slides a low cross beyond the far post. Carrasco controls it and whacks a shot from a tight angle that is kicked behind by the keeper Livakovic. I’m not certain the shot was going in, though Livakovic didn’t know that.
11 min “Feels a bit harsh on Lukaku and Brozovic to say this is their last ever World Cup - both will still be 33 when the next iteration comes around,” says Ben Blatch-Hanlon.
I also imagine Kevin De Bruyne may well have something to say about being ruled out of playing in the next one when he’s just about to turn 35 - if Modric can do it...!”
I didn’t say it would be, only that it might. You make fair points on De Bruyne and Brozovic. I’m not sure about Lukaku, though – he started very young and has a lot of miles on the clock.
10 min Carrasco cuts inside from the left and has a shot blocked, then Alderweireld almost puts Mertens through on goal with a long, driven pass.
9 min “Considering Bobby M’s managerial career so far and his Boris Johnson-esque talent for failing upwards,” begins Shaun Wilkinson, “I fully expect him to lose his job after this tournament, and then be managing Spain by the next Euros.”
8 min Belgium have settled down after that nervous start. In fact, nothing much has happened in the last five minutes.
6 min Belgium’s formation is indeed a 4-2-3-1, with Mertens playing behind Trossard and occasionally swapping positions. De Bruyne is roaming from the right and Carrasco is on the left.
Updated
5 min There’s been an early goal in the other game, and it’s bad news for both Belgium and Croatia.
4 min “Oh, we’re carrying on with the World Cup, are we?” says Matt Dony. “I figured it had finished on Tuesday evening. I don’t pay much attention to the Belgium media, but is it full of people wondering whether their Golden Generation is being ruined by De Bruyne and Witsel not being able to play with each other, and a foreign coach in thrall to star players?”
Arf, very good.
Updated
2 min This is a seriously shaky start from Belgium, who have already had to make a couple of desperate challenges in their own area. The formation looks like 4-2-3-1 by the way, with Dendoncker and Witsel in midfield.
Updated
Just wide from Perisic! Croatia almost score after eight seconds! Straight from the kick-off, Modric flipped an insouciant pass forward towards Perisic, who cut inside Meunier on the edge of the area and whistled the bouncing ball just wide.
Updated
1 min Peep peep! Croatia kick off from left to right as we watch.
There has been so much talk about Belgium that we’ve almost forgotten that this is an equally vital game for Croatia. If they lose and Morocco avoid defeat against Canada, they’re out.
“The 2014-2022 iteration of Belgium hasn’t underachieved,” writes Pádraig McAuliffe. “It played some great attacking football in World Cup 2014, and got knocked out by finalists Argentina in a squeaker. In 2016, they got done by Wales and that was a gross-underachievement. They were by far the most entertaining team at World Cup 2018, and lost a squeaker to the winners in the semis.
“They beat Denmark, Portugal and Russia in Euro 2021 before losing to the overall winners in the tournament’s best game. I’ve really enjoyed watching this flawed-but-fun team down the years - Naingolan, de Bruyne, Carrasco-as-full-back, Hazard, Lukaku, Mertens and a range of ball-playing centre-halves. Wonderful.”
Yes, the Wales game is the only time you could really say they blew it, and even that’s a bit disrespectful to Hal Robson-Kanu.
Apologies for the radio silence, I had an intestinal emergency. All is fine now and I’m back just in time for the anthems. Let’s play!
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Belgium’s tactics (II)
Guillaume Pirard writes to say the Belgian media think Roberto Martinez will play a 3-4-3 – but with Kevin De Bruyne alongside Axel Witsel in midfield. He doesn’t often play in a midfield two. Then again, these are desperate times for Belgium.
Belgium (possible 3-4-3) Courtois; Alderweireld, Dendoncker, Vertonghen; Meunier, De Bruyne, Witsel, Castagne; Trossard, Mertens, Carrasco.
Belgium haven’t underachieved: discuss.
Belgium’s tactics Wait, hang on. There are some suggestions that Belgium will revert to a back three, but with Timothy Castagne rather than Leander Dendoncker in the defence.
Belgium (possible 3-4-3) Courtois; Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Castagne; Meunier, Dendoncker, Witsel, Carrasco; De Bruyne, Mertens, Trossard.
Updated
Canada v Morocco
This game is inextricably linked with events at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha. You can follow that one with Our Baz.
“Following the release of the line-ups, is the Bobby Martinez’s ‘Please, please give me a pay-off’ plea?” asks Ryan Grimward.
I quite like the team he’s picked. Eden Hazard is a shadow of the player who was in the Team of the Tournament at the last World Cup, and Trossard’s selection is overdue.
Updated
Team news: Eden Hazard dropped
Croatia are unchanged; Belgium are not. Roberto Martinez has made four changes to the side that lost to Morocco on Sunday. The Hazard brothers and Michy Batshuayi are dropped; Amadou Onana is suspended. In come Dries Mertens, Yannick Carrasco, Leander Dendoncker and Brighton’s Leandro Trossard. Kevin De Bruyne replaces Eden Hazard as captain.
The inclusion of Dendoncker means Belgium could line up with a back three or a back four. I suspect it’s 4-2-3-1 with Dries Mertens as a false nine, but as Roberto Martinez won’t answer my DMs, I can’t speak with any authority.
Croatia (4-3-3) Livakovic; Juranovic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Sosa; Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic; Kramaric, Livaja, Perisic.
Substitutes: Grbic, Ivusic, Stanisic, Erlic, Majer, Vlasic, Pasalic, Petkovic, Budimir, Orsic, Vida, Sutalo, Sucic, Jakic.
Belgium (possible 4-2-3-1) Courtois; Meunier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Castagne; Dendoncker, Witsel; Carrasco, De Bruyne, Trossard; Mertens.
Substitutes: Mignolet, Casteels, Theate, Faes, Tielemans, Lukaku, Batshuayi, T Hazard, E Hazard, Doku, Vanaken, De Ketelaere, Openda, Debast.
Updated
The story so far
Croatia drew 0-0 with Morocco and then put Canada over their knee, coming from behind to win 4-1.
Belgium followed a slightly unconvincing 1-0 win over Canada with an exceedingly unconvincing 2-0 defeat to Morocco on Sunday, after which the players reportedly had a row over which of them was farthest down the hill.
I say ‘reportedly’, because Roberto Martinez has borrowed Donald Trump’s favourite phrase, and I don’t mean Make Belgium Great Again.
Permutations corner
This has been culled unashamedly from Martin Belam’s excellent guide, which is linked below. Also, if it’s wrong, blame him*.
Croatia A draw is enough for Croatia to qualify. They may still qualify if they lose, if Canada beat Morocco, depending on the margins of the respective victories.
Belgium Belgium need to win to be assured qualification. A draw may be enough, but only if Canada beat Morocco, and even then it will come down to goal difference.
* It’s not
Preamble
The problem with a golden generation is that one day it turns into base metal. In a few hours’ time, either Croatia or Belgium – both on the podium at the last World Cup – will be lamenting the end of an era. Barring a defeat for Morocco against Canada, one of these two teams will be going home.
Belgium are the most imperilled. They need to win to be sure of qualifying for the last 16, whereas a draw is enough for Croatia. There is a way Belgium could go through with a draw, or Croatia with a defeat, but we’ll come to that in permutations corner.
These are two of the oldest teams in the competition, and some of these legendary footballers are about to appear in a World Cup game for the final time: Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modric, Romelu Lukaku, Ivan Perisic, Eden Hazard, Marcelo Brozovic, Toby Alderweireld, Dejan Lovren.
And yet. While one of these teams will almost certainly be apologising earnestly to the nation after the final whistle, if either of them top the group they have the chance to go a long way in the tournament. The winners of Group F shouldn’t meet Brazil, Spain, France, Argentina or England – the five favourites for the tournament - until at least the semi-final stage.
Two golden generations duking it out, with everything at stake. As final group games go, this is a humglistener.
Kick off 3pm GMT, 6pm in Al Rayyan, 4pm in Brussels and Zagreb.
