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Belgium’s draw against Croatia in their final group-stage match could have ended with a win and seen the team advance into the knockout stage had forward Romelu Lukaku closed a near-perfect cross in the 89th minute.
The Belgians needed to win their Group F match over Croatia to knock off the eventual group runners-up as long as eventual group-winner Morocco won or drew. Seconds before stoppage time was added, Jérémy Doku heroically evaded Croatian defenders at the top of the box and found midfielder Thorgan Hazard in space on the right. Hazard took a touch before launching a cross to an undefended Lukaku, who was angled perfectly to volley the ball into the goal’s left corner.
Instead, Belgium’s all-time goalscorer appeared frazzled when the ball quickly hit his chest and meekly bounced into the Croatian keeper’s hands.
It wasn’t the only missed opportunity of the day for the Inter Milan player. Minutes into the second half after being called up from the bench, Lukaku was presented with a split-second opportunity to put away the game for the Red Devils. Instead, he hit the post.
Belgium, who entered the tournament ranked No. 2 in FIFA world rankings and heavily favored to be a contender in this year’s edition, was eliminated following the loss, leaving Lukaku inconsolable. The team had previously lost to Morocco and won against Canada.
Croatia and Morocco escape a surprisingly contested Group F and enter the World Cup’s round of 16. Croatia will face the winner of heavy-hitter Group E while Morocco will take on the group’s runners-up.
