Belgium knocked out of World Cup after goalless draw, Croatia into round of 16

Belgium were taken out of the World Cup following an unfortunate 0-0 draw against Croatia on Thursday.

Roberto Martinez's side required a success against the 2018 World Cup finalists to advance past the gathering stage, however they couldn't track down the rear of the net.

[{"selector":"#anim-d89d652b-d60e-42ed-9dc4-4aa320227d65","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1749eb00-f7f5-4899-b442-b5f166f8564b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-88c0c9dd-ee2b-4a46-b722-a9b6e35dd1d3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-364fb047-ad5e-474f-94e5-470971e6e4b7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.26385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e71dd9af-3391-476b-8293-d8d767cd793b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-3.516806700242789%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Skipper Eden Peril was dropped for the beginning of the match, and Romelu Lukaku hit on pass up on four opportunities of a lifetime as Belgium's Reality Cup venture reached frustrating end.

[{"selector":"#anim-097d45a4-5886-4bbc-a492-202853082ded [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(5.899159626213702%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-54a38c34-9fa2-44f9-9ba9-aad6b885803f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4cb61d0f-5a64-4ad6-8128-e5a217bd254d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.26385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5ecdce3a-520b-4445-847c-e0ce32b05465","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d4035441-4e23-49cf-aff5-ff85b39ba862","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Croatia advance into the round of 16 yet qualify in runner up after Morocco completed top of the gathering with a 2-1 win over Canada.

[{"selector":"#anim-daa7e1cb-0cfe-450f-8364-4676d2340fe2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a8668f6b-cb51-4cce-9485-6f699b2d9984","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-681edf18-6c2c-42f2-aa2e-78436c73be6d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.26385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8f528062-164b-461f-b6d8-471dd99c6436","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bc92ba2e-4bcd-43ab-9583-df8c2ff0c6a1","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

"It's difficult to dominate matches On the planet Cup," Martinez told BBC after the game. "We weren't acting naturally in first game we had a merited loss in second game.

[{"selector":"#anim-95b09561-f124-479c-9fa8-ddc1315cbf6f [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f5c9cc5c-3b23-4306-918b-b0c9f594f4a5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f6fc0e1d-e287-4ac4-93b3-339cd524a33f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.26385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3da747fc-60d9-4361-b669-c41cb37e5729","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c9e21ba3-a60d-401d-a633-e2602f723a51","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

"Today we were prepared, we set out open doors and today there is no second thoughts. We're out yet we can leave with our heads held high."

[{"selector":"#anim-b2fc7d2c-2b8e-484e-8b04-c9221c018796 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ec32413a-c895-4bcb-980b-a85f33eea3e5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d3054ae7-baed-4080-b9ad-3bda3cede317","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.26385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c8a3765a-1086-4824-aeca-132c389b7b56","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fad30ee3-8dba-4485-af6e-5f856b108961","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Croatia ruled from the main whistle and got an opportunity inside the initial 20 seconds however Ivan Perisic blasted his shot over the bar.

[{"selector":"#anim-5a82b616-db83-4049-abfa-1d3a3d19afe2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b35e62e5-d87d-426f-8968-2ed8166778be","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-01aaad7c-d112-421d-b76b-696152fbaad8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.26385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7b6cdb6f-bc96-4f6a-ab0a-e67f2c739a09","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eebf8fe8-b79a-440a-a788-3ba1adf0dde3","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Belgium answered with a quick counterattack following 14 minutes however Dries Mertens couldn't track down the objective after a fine through ball from Kevin de Bruyne.

[{"selector":"#anim-c8847729-e942-4f6a-9c97-84383025db77 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(10.89075623300992%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ff7b51e7-0658-4882-94d1-040cbd4db03b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-addef6e1-60db-4442-b42c-9b5611f7bbe5","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-117.26385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7491d016-7849-4aa2-86fa-25fe19212a69","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-fb9ecf5f-be09-4018-98e0-92770709727c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]