Belgium punished Croatian mistakes at Rujevica: Dalić's team has one more test before the World Cup
The Croatian national football team lost to Belgium 0:2 in a friendly match played on June 2, 2026, at HNK Rijeka's stadium at Rujevica. It was Zlatko Dalić's team's penultimate test before leaving for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America, and the duel showed both good segments and clear problems that the coaching staff must work through in the final days of preparation. According to the report of the Croatian Football Federation, Belgium celebrated with goals from Youri Tielemans in the first half and Romelu Lukaku in stoppage time. Croatia raised the intensity after the break and had periods of pressure, but did not find the final move that would have brought the match back into balance. The closest they came to scoring was in the 61st minute, when Ante Budimir hit the crossbar, while Marco Pašalić, after a good individual action in the closing stages, shot just wide of the post.
Belgium takes the lead after a loose ball
Belgium took the lead at Rujevica in the 38th minute. According to Novi list's match report, the move that led to the goal was started by Jeremy Doku, and after a loose ball in the Croatian penalty area, Tielemans calmly struck the bottom corner for 0:1. During the first half, Doku constantly searched for space between Croatia's back line and the wide areas, which meant that the home defence often had to react to the width and speed of the Belgian attack. Croatia tried in the opening part to build attacks through possession and progression toward the front players, but Belgium reduced the space between the lines with a disciplined shape. Croatia's first attempts did not seriously threaten Thibaut Courtois, and the most notable was Petar Musa's shot from a semi-counterattack, which ended over the goal.
Dalić, in the match preview according to an HNS statement, said that Belgium was a serious test because it has several players who can make the difference in transition and with individual moves. Croatia therefore approached the match as a test of the idea with three players in the back line and a more pronounced role for the wide players, a system the coach had announced before the match. The starting line-up included Dominik Livaković, Josip Šutalo, Luka Vušković, Joško Gvardiol, Josip Stanišić, Luka Modrić, Mateo Kovačić, Ivan Perišić, Petar Sučić, Martin Baturina and Petar Musa. According to the report from Rujevica, Duje Ćaleta-Car was not in contention because of back problems. The staffs of the two national teams agreed on a larger number of substitutions, which also gave the match a distinctly preparatory character.
Croatia raised the tempo, but did not capitalize on the pressure
After the break, Croatia tried to be more direct and more aggressive in reaching the Belgian goal. In the 57th minute, Dalić made extensive changes: Dominik Kotarski, Marin Pongračić, Marco Pašalić, Mario Pašalić, Luka Sučić and Ante Budimir came on. That move changed the dynamics of the match because Budimir brought additional presence in the penalty area, and Luka Sučić more verticality in passing. It was Sučić who, in the 61st minute, delivered the ball that Budimir headed against the crossbar from the edge of the six-yard box. It was Croatia's best chance and the moment in which Belgium, for the first time in the second half, lost complete control over the space in front of their goal.
Croatia continued trying to maintain pressure after that, but attacks often ended before the final pass or shot. Belgium, on the other hand, remained dangerous from set pieces and transitions, and in the 74th minute Hans Vanaken hit the crossbar. In the closing stages, Marco Pašalić got into a good position after opening space on the edge of the penalty area, but his shot in the 88th minute went just outside the frame of the goal. According to Novi list's report, Belgium seriously threatened twice after a corner in the 80th minute, and Kotarski reacted reflexively in a crowded situation after an awkward Croatian intervention. Such details left the impression of a match in which Croatia was not far from a comeback, but Belgium had more composure in the key moments.
Lukaku confirmed the win in stoppage time
Romelu Lukaku made it 0:2 in the sixth minute of stoppage time, after a Belgian counterattack that closed the match. That goal carried additional symbolism because Lukaku had been one of the players discussed in the preview of the encounter, given his role in the Belgian national team and the memories of the Croatia and Belgium duel at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Dalić, before this match according to an HNS statement, emphasized that he considered Lukaku a great and physically powerful striker, and the Belgian forward at Rujevica exploited the space that opened up while Croatia was searching for an equalizer in the closing stages. For Belgium, according to the published match sheet, alongside Courtois, Ngoy, Raskin, Theate, Saelemaekers, Onana, Tielemans, De Cuyper, De Bruyne, Doku and De Ketelaere played, while Lukaku, Vanaken, Witsel, Mechele, Meunier, De Winter, Seys and Matías Fernández-Pardo also came on during the second half.
The defeat does not change the basic plan of the Croatian coaching staff, but it provides clear material for analysis. The first goal came after a situation in which the defence did not clear the loose ball, while the second was conceded at a moment when the team took more risks playing forward. In friendly matches, such details are often viewed through the broader context of preparation, but Dalić, in the preview according to HNS, stressed that the result matters regardless of the friendly nature of the duel. That explains why the match against Belgium will probably be analyzed equally through the shape in the new system, defensive reactions and the finishing of attacks as through the defeat itself. Belgium showed greater efficiency, while Croatia will especially regret Budimir's chance, which could have changed the course of the match.
A test of the system and squad depth
One of the more important elements of the Rijeka encounter was testing the depth of the squad before a tournament in which the rhythm of matches and travel will be demanding. HNS announced a day earlier that head coach Zlatko Dalić had confirmed the final list of 26 players for the World Cup, which team manager Iva Olivari submitted to FIFA within the prescribed deadline. The goalkeepers on that list are Dominik Livaković, Ivor Pandur and Dominik Kotarski, while the outfield players are Josip Stanišić, Marin Pongračić, Joško Gvardiol, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Josip Šutalo, Nikola Moro, Mateo Kovačić, Andrej Kramarić, Luka Modrić, Ante Budimir, Nikola Vlašić, Ivan Perišić, Mario Pašalić, Martin Baturina, Petar Sučić, Kristijan Jakić, Toni Fruk, Igor Matanović, Luka Sučić, Luka Vušković, Marco Pašalić, Martin Erlić and Petar Musa. The Rujevica match gave minutes to numerous players from that list and allowed the coaching staff to compare different solutions in midfield, defence and attack.
According to HNS, Dalić said in the preview that he had chosen the best 26 players at this moment and that he wanted to avoid new injury problems. In the same appearance, he stressed the importance of combining experience and younger players, noting that previous successes had been based precisely on the balance between the leaders and new solutions. The match against Belgium showed how important that blend will be, especially in situations when younger players are expected to react quickly to the tempo of top-level opponents. Luka Vušković and Petar Sučić were given room in the starting line-up, Baturina played in a more attacking role, while Luka Sučić and Marco Pašalić tried in the second half to bring more energy and verticality. Such tests do not provide final answers, but they help define the hierarchy and roles before the first match at the World Cup.
Belgium as a test for England
The match against Belgium carried additional weight because Croatia had already emphasized in the build-up that it was also using this match to prepare for the opening game of the World Cup against England. Mario Pašalić, according to HNS, said the day before the match that Belgium was a quality opponent and a good test for the first match at the tournament. At Rujevica, the Belgian national team offered exactly the kind of challenge expected from top opponents: pace on the wings, technical quality in the middle and forwards who can punish open space. Although a friendly match cannot fully replicate the competitive pressure of the World Cup, it can show how well a team controls the distances between the lines and how quickly it reacts after losing the ball. Croatia managed in some phases to keep possession, but precision and timing were often lacking in the final phase of attacks.
The match was also a reminder that details will decide matters at the World Cup. According to FIFA, the 2026 edition will be the first with 48 national teams and 104 matches, and the tournament will be played from June 11 to July 19 in Canada, Mexico and the USA. Croatia is in Group L with England, Panama and Ghana, and the official FIFA schedule states that it will play its first match on June 17 against England in Dallas, then on June 23 against Panama in Toronto and on June 27 against Ghana in Philadelphia. Such a schedule brings different tactical and climatic challenges, especially because of changes in locations and conditions. Dalić, in the preview of the match against Belgium according to HNS, mentioned that Dallas will be particularly demanding because of the heat, which further increases the importance of physical preparation and quality use of the squad.
Slovenia remains the final test
Croatia has one more friendly match before leaving for the World Cup. According to HNS's announcement on ticket sales and the schedule of preparation matches, the national team will play against Slovenia on June 7 at the City Stadium in Varaždin, starting at 20:45. That match will be the last opportunity for corrections in play, a check of the players' health status and the definition of details related to the starting line-up for the match against England. After the defeat to Belgium, the emphasis will probably be on defensive reactions after rebounds, better protection of space in the final phase of attacks and more efficient use of crosses toward the forwards. Dalić's staff must at the same time weigh the need for tactical cohesion against the necessity of protecting players from excessive workload.
Rujevica thus brought a result that will not satisfy Croatia, but also a match that clearly showed what still needs to be improved. Belgium used its most important moments, while Croatia did not reward its periods of better play in the second half. Budimir's crossbar and Marco Pašalić's shot just wide of the post will remain Croatia's closest attempts, but the more serious lesson concerns concentration in both penalty areas. In the preparation period, defeats are not viewed only through the final outcome, but also through the data they leave for the coaching staff. After Belgium, Varaždin will provide the final image of Dalić's team before attention fully shifts to the world stage and the opener against England.
Sources:
- Croatian Football Federation / HNS.team – official match report on Croatia – Belgium 0:2 (link)
- Novi list – live report and match sheet from Rujevica (link)
- Croatian Football Federation / HNS.team – final Croatian squad list for the 2026 World Cup (link)
- Croatian Football Federation / HNS.team – Zlatko Dalić's statement before the match against Belgium (link)
- Croatian Football Federation / HNS.team – Mario Pašalić's statement before the match against Belgium (link)
- Croatian Football Federation / HNS.family – schedule of preparation matches against Belgium and Slovenia (link)
- FIFA – official schedule and format of the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIFA – schedule of Croatia's matches at the 2026 World Cup (link)