Croatia Advances at World Cup as 0–0 Draw Eliminates Belgium

Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne (R) and Croatia's Josip Juranovic (L) fight for the ball during the World Cup group F soccer match between Croatia and Belgium at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, on Dec. 1, 2022. Thanassis Stavrakis/AP Photo

AL RAYYAN, Qatar—Croatia advanced to the last 16 of the World Cup on Thursday after a 0–0 draw against Belgium, whose group-stage exit will likely usher in the breakup of its talented but underachieving generation of players.

The eastern European nation has reached at least the semifinals on each of the two times it has reached the knockout stage.