Belgium defeated England 2-0 to secure third place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Saturday at the Saint Petersburg Stadium in Russia. The win gives Belgium it’s highest winning World Cup rank in history.
Thomas Meunier opened the scoring after just four minutes, before Eden Hazard sealed a deserved win late on for Roberto Martinez’s side.
The two teams put in uninspiring performances, which only served to highlight the pointless nature of the match. The history books will record that Belgium finished third, but few will remember much from this encounter beyond the result.
Supporters also did not seem too interested in attending. James Olley at the Evening Standard noted the amount of empty seats inside the stadium. For many, it is a game that should no longer be on the World Cup calendar.
The extra day of recovery appeared to benefit the Belgians, whose strong starting team reflected that of England, who also fielded a side with the intention of winning this game.
But Belgium were too strong and slick, with Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Meunier dominating the game.
