Croatia vs Belgium 2 June 2026 Prediction

At the request of national team manager Zlatko Dalić, Croatia is playing pre-World Cup friendlies only against opponents from the top 15 of the FIFA ranking. In the spring, the Checkered Ones faced Colombia (2-1) and Brazil (1-3), and now they will host a difficult Belgium side in Rijeka. Croatia has not won any of its last four head-to-head meetings with the Red Devils: two defeats and two draws.

My Home Is My Fortress

The current Croatia squad includes several young talents, such as Petar and Luka Sučić, Igor Matanović, Martin Baturina, and Luka Vušković. Still, the team continues to rely heavily on the experience and intelligence of Luka Modrić, who remains highly effective at linking defense and attack. The strength of Zlatko Dalić’s team lies in its long-term chemistry, strong ball control, and ability to maximize the chances it creates. Over the last 10 matches, Croatia has averaged 2.8 expected goals (xG), while its actual scoring output stands at 2.9 goals per game.

Croatia’s home form is also worth highlighting. The national team last lost at home in 2023 during Euro 2024 qualifying. Since then, the Checkered Ones have played 10 home matches across different competitions, and among the teams that failed to win in Croatia were major sides such as France (2-0) and Portugal (1-1).

Unconvincing Against Top Opponents

Belgium is going through a generational transition, but the old guard led by Kevin De Bruyne will still be expected to carry the team. However, Romelu Lukaku, Belgium’s main striker and the scorer of three goals against Croatia — the best individual mark in this matchup — has not fully regained form after injury and is unlikely to start the first summer friendly. The biggest weakness remains central defense, which has lost reliability since the departures of Kompany, Vertonghen, and Alderweireld. Debast, De Winter, Ngoy, and Theate are players of a different level.

Belgium qualified fairly comfortably, going unbeaten in eight matches, but that was helped by a modest level of opposition. Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein were not teams capable of consistently challenging the Red Devils. More relevant for this matchup is Belgium’s recent record against other top national teams. Over the last two years, the visitors have faced only France and Italy from that category. The results are not encouraging: four defeats in five matches, with just one draw.

Croatia vs Belgium Predicted Lineup

Croatia (3-5-2): Livaković – Vušković, Ćaleta-Car, Gvardiol – Stanišić, Modrić, Kovačić, P. Sučić, Perišić – Matanović, Baturina

Out: Šutalo (injury), Juranović, Majer, Ivanović, Sosa, Smolčić (all out of the squad)

Manager: Zlatko Dalić

Belgium (4-2-3-1): Courtois – Castagne, Debast, De Winter, De Cuyper – Onana, Tielemans – Saelemaekers, De Bruyne, Doku – Fernández-Pardo

Out: Faes, Mangala, M. Keita, Bakayoko, Openda (all out of the squad), Lukaku (doubtful)

Manager: Rudi Garcia

Croatia vs Belgium Prediction: Croatia to Win at 2.58

• Main Pick: The hosts enter this match with a strong chance of backing up their favorite status. Croatia remains a model of team chemistry, and the understanding in midfield under Zlatko Dalić is comparable to what we see at top clubs. The Checkered Ones also have no major issues with finishing and should be ready to punish mistakes from Belgium’s inconsistent defense, which has looked vulnerable even against teams like Kazakhstan and Wales. Croatia also performs well against other top national teams, especially at home. In its last five home matches against teams from the top 15 of the FIFA ranking, the Balkan side has not lost once. Belgium, by contrast, lost both of its last two matches against opponents of that level. We suggest taking Croatia to win at 2.58. A 3-1 correct score at 20.00 is also worth considering.
• Total Pick: Croatia is used to playing attacking soccer, and the over has landed in each of its last five matches. Belgium under Rudi Garcia has also become a very high-scoring team. Together with their opponents, the Red Devils have produced 52 goals across their previous 12 matches, an average of 4.33 per game. As an additional betting option, over 2.5 goals at 1.84 looks reasonable.