Red Devils boost World Cup confidence with 2-0 friendly win over Croatia
Belgium's Red Devils beat Croatia 0-2 during a friendly match in Rijeka on Tuesday evening. The victory gave the team a confidence boost ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which begins in nine days' time in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Belgium dominated without ever truly cutting loose. Jeremy Doku was the most dangerous player on the pitch. His persistence on the left flank yielded the opening goal shortly before half-time: his low cross found Tielemans, who scored his 13th international goal.
Deep into injury time, Lukaku finished on the counter to make it 2-0, his first international goal in nearly a year. The Napoli striker has had a season disrupted by injuries and arrives at the World Cup short of match fitness, with coach Rudi Garcia intending to give him progressively more playing time heading into the tournament.
"Since I arrived on Saturday, everyone has been really focused in training. I can see that the players are improving and reaching a good level," Kevin De Bruyne said after the game. "Now it’s important to keep this up over the next two weeks. We’re on the right track, but let’s stay calm."
A Spanish debut
Another highlight was the debut of Matias Fernandez-Pardo, who came on after 73 minutes to replace Doku. The 21-year-old Brussels-born forward had chosen the Spanish national team in early 2025, but was able to reverse that decision after FIFA confirmed he had not represented Spain in any official or unofficial match.
Fernandez-Pardo has impressed this season at French second-tier side Lille, where he was signed two years ago from KAA Gent for 11.5 million euros. He scored eight goals and seven assists in 40 appearances this season and will be a valuable asset for Belgium during the World Cup.
Belgium's final warm-up match takes place on Saturday at a sold-out King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels against Tunisia. The squad is then due to fly to Seattle on Monday 8 June, where they will be based for the tournament. Belgium open their World Cup campaign on 15 June against Egypt.
© BELGA PHOTO BRUNO FAHY
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