World Cup 2018: England lose 1-0 to Belgium and face Colombia in last 16 after Adnan Januzaj strike helps Red Devils leapfrog Three Lions

ENGLAND will play Colombia in the last 16 of the World Cup after defeat to Belgium in their final group game.

Gareth Southgate’s side needed to avoid a loss in Kaliningrad to finish top of their group, but they fell to Adnan Januzaj's superb curler, while the Belgians go on to face Japan.

It means the Three Lions slide into the ‘easier’ half of the World Cup knock-out bracket, but only if they can beat Radamel Falcao and company, then either Sweden or Switzerland would be their quarter-final opponents.

Southgate's makeshift side were beaten by Januzaj's stunning strike in their Group G decider on 51 minutes, but a one-goal deficit should not have been beyond them.

Marcus Rashford missed a great chance to tie up the match, which was saved by Thibaut Courtois.

Fans moaned on social media about the boring football on offer, as the disjointed style of Sven-Goran Eriksson, Fabio Capello and Roy Hodgson's teams returned and supporters were in a tense frenzy in pubs up and down the country.

Southgate made eight changes for the final group game against the Red Devils, who were themselves missing several stars from their starting line-up, including Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku.

They almost committed a comical early blunder as keeper Jordan Pickford appeared to spill the ball against Michy Batshuayi after falling to the ground, only for Gary Cahill to clear the ball off the line.

Against Colombia, Southgate will likely bring back the likes of Harry Kane, Jordan Henderson and Raheem Sterling, while a knock sustained by John Stones is not thought to be serious.

While the pressure was off, with England already qualified before the Belgium game, the nation WILL expect a big performance come Tuesday at 7pm, with the game to be broadcast on ITV.

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Southgate said after the defeat: "I think it's a pretty even game.

“I thought they had better controlled possession than us at times, they had the better chances in the first half and we had a couple of really good ones in the second so it was a good test for us.

"Of course, we have had a double objectives tonight with half an eye on the knock out.

"It was a great chance. The good thing with him and Jamie was they kept working and looking for those openings. It didn't happen for them tonight but we don't suffer for it."

For much of the match, Three Lions faithful belted out "are you watching Germany?" after the world champions were eliminated on Wednesday, but the grins were wiped off their faces after Januzaj's goal.

There had been excitement beforehand at the prospect of Jamie Vardy and Rashford leading the line, but the pair could only combine once to create a meaningful chance.

Prime Minister Theresa May was earlier presented a Belgian shirt by her counterpart Charles Michel, while Nigel Farage sipped beer in a Brussels pub, before locals plonked a Belgium hat on his head.

Fans all over the country soaked up the sun and atmosphere, as the June heatwave struck on a thirsty Thursday night and supporters in Kaliningrad also provided some brilliant colour.

Sunny Brighton beach was packed again, with thousands of supporters watching on a giant screen, as pubs teemed with boozed up workers watching the clash after their shifts.

And in Norfolk, fans at a pub chanted and sang their hearts out, despite being behind.

The Wags, including Vardy's wife Rebekah and Rashford's girlfriend Lucia Loi, could be seen in the stands as they soaked up the atmosphere and eagerly awaited a goal.

Alas it never came. But for England, the show must go on.

Despite defeat, the stats afterwards showed this was our second-youngest team ever at a World Cup, proving young players got some crucial experience under pressure.

Now the slate is wiped clean, Colombia await and the World Cup quest is still alive.