In the final group match, the Belgian national team defeated England 1-0 and secured the first place in Group G.
This means that Belgium will play against Japan in the round of 16, and if they reach the quarterfinals - most likely against Brazil. This was clear even before their match. It is said that by finishing in second place in the group, an easier path to the final may await.
Nevertheless, the coach of the Belgian national team, Roberto Martinez, is happy with the first place they earned and is glad they didn't calculate anything.
"I saw a group of players who desperately wanted to play in these matches. I don't think you can be successful in the World Cup by hoping for an easy way. We saw that at the European Championship a couple of years ago.
We need to focus on Japan. England will play against Colombia, and if you start looking ahead, then it's a problem.
If you start thinking about what you will get, start guessing, then it can be very difficult. Germany got knocked out and I don't think anyone thought that was possible. In the last few minutes, Spain was first in their group, we saw how Argentina was close to being eliminated.
This World Cup is very unpredictable, and you have to look only at yourself and think about how to be the strongest you can be," said R. Martinez.
