Eden Hazard’s Belgium have been eliminated from the FIFA World Cup 2022 after a goalless draw against Croatia. Luka Modric’s team, on the other hand, advanced to the Round of 16 after coming second in Group F.
Despite a narrow win over Canada during their first game, the Belgian Red Devils had looked underwhelming throughout the tournament. However, their recent 2-0 loss to Morocco put them under enormous pressure.
Belgium was in desperate need of a win to have a chance of qualifying, especially after Morocco defeated Canada in the other Group F match.
Roberto Martinez made a bold decision by dropping Hazard from the starting lineup. Thibaut Courtois, his Real Madrid teammate, played brilliantly to keep Belgium in the game, making several clutch saves.
However, Romelu Lukaku, who came on at halftime, missed three sitters as the game ended in a goalless draw. Hazard, who came on as a substitute late in the game, had little impact on the outcome.
While the Real Madrid duo’s journey in Qatar has come to an end, another Los Blancos player, Modric, and Croatia, advance to the knockout stages. After drawing with Morocco in their opener, the Vatreni dominated Canada to put themselves in a good position.
However, a loss would have forced them to leave. However, the team was able to persevere and keep things together. Josko Gvardiol deserves special mention for his outstanding performance against Belgium, which helped Croatia advance.
Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’ had advanced to the World Cup semi-finals the previous year. However, things have been difficult for them for some time now, with recent reports of internal fighting within the national team only adding fuel to the fire.
Hazard, Courtois, and co. will eventually be eliminated, while Modric will lead Croatia into the Round of 16, where they will most likely face Spain.
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