Belgium slump in Nations League drama

Swiss roar back to end world No. 1 team’s hopes

Belgium threw away their place in the Uefa Nations League semi-finals place in a stunning 5-2 loss at Switzerland.

On a day of come-frombehind wins and twisting fortunes for the World Cup’s beaten semi-finalists, England edged Croatia 2-1, while Belgium, who finished third in Russia, seemed certain to join England and hosts Portugal in the inaugural Final Four of world football’s newest tournament in June.

The world No. 1 team still need a trophy to back up their status and eased into a quick 2-0 lead against Switzerland.

Needing to score at least four to advance, the Swiss got three by half-time and added two more

Belgians.

“Too many individual errors. I have no words,” Belgium defender Toby Alderweireld said.

The group was settled on a head-to-head tiebreaker with both teams on nine points. Switzerland’s threegoal margin outweighed Belgium’s 2-1 win in Brussels last month.

Sunday’s dramatic games between top 10-ranked teams added to the strong impression made by the first Nations League.

Uefa created the competition — amid some scepticism given the busy football calendar — to replace mostly meaningless and unpopular international friendly games.

It gives unheralded national teams in the lower tiers a route to qualify for the European Championship through a subsequent play-off round. later to shock the