Zagreb, Croatia – Belgium coach Rudi Garcia praised his team’s performance in their 2-0 victory over Croatia. The friendly match, played on Tuesday evening, was part of both teams’ preparations for the 2026 World Cup.

Garcia said in comments after the match: “We performed well against Croatia, and the water break helped us make three tactical adjustments that resulted in improved performance”.

He added: “We faced some difficulties during periods of the match, but we managed to keep a clean sheet. The players defended with a collective spirit and we did not give the opponent any dangerous opportunities, except for the ball that hit the crossbar”.

The Belgian coach continued: “It was an important match before the start of the World Cup, and we are happy to have achieved victory over a strong team like Croatia. What impressed me most was the team’s collective level, and the substitutions did not affect the performance”.

Regarding Romelu Lukaku’s goal, he said: “Lukaku was born to score goals. I thought he could have handled one of the earlier plays better, and it’s normal to be stricter with big players, but he came into the game well and started putting pressure on the opponent as soon as he came on”.

Garcia concluded his remarks by saying, “Everyone is happy for him and holds him in high regard. Now he needs to continue working with the coaching staff and keep developing.” Rudi Garcia, the Belgian national team coach, praised his team’s performance in their 2-0 victory over Croatia. The friendly match between the two teams on Tuesday evening was part of both teams’ preparations for the 2026 World Cup.

Garcia said in comments after the match: “We performed well against Croatia, and the water break helped us make three tactical adjustments that resulted in improved performance”.

Garcia praises the substitutes’ reaction and the team’s level remaining unaffected

He added: “We faced some difficulties during periods of the match, but we managed to keep a clean sheet. The players defended with a collective spirit and we did not give the opponent any dangerous opportunities, except for the ball that hit the crossbar”.

The Belgian coach continued: “It was an important match before the start of the World Cup, and we are happy to have achieved victory over a strong team like Croatia. What impressed me most was the team’s collective level, and the substitutions did not affect the performance”.

Regarding Romelu Lukaku’s goal, he said: “Lukaku was born to score goals. I thought he could have handled one of the earlier plays better, and it’s normal to be stricter with big players, but he came into the game well and started putting pressure on the opponent as soon as he came on”.

Garcia concluded his remarks by saying: “Everyone is happy for him and has a lot of respect for him. Now he has to continue working with the coaching staff and keep developing”.