Belgium edges Sweden to secure Round of 16 matchup with Hungary

Belgium withstood waves of attacks from a desperate Sweden side and scored on the counter through Radja Nainggolan to wrap up second place in Group E.

The Red Devils now head to the Round of 16, where they will play Hungary on Sunday in Toulouse.

The match was billed as a potential farewell for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who announced the day prior that he would retire from international football following his country's run in the tournament.

Apart from an acrobatic effort that was then waved offside, Ibrahimovic never looked likely to carry Sweden over the line. He only registered one shot on goal throughout the group stage.

Sweden needed a win to advance to the next round, but Belgium frustrated its Scandinavian counterpart time and again.

The end truly arrived when Nainggolan launched a thunderous, if deflected strike past a sprawling Andreas Isaksson in the 84th minute.

Belgium wasted several of its own opportunities before Nainggolan decided the contest. Romelu Lukaku saw one of his breakaway efforts ruled offside, and De Bruyne failed to beat Isaksson with a low right-footed shot.

Marc Wilmots' players weren't nearly as effective as they were in a 3-0 win over Ireland last Saturday, and in reality they only required a point Wednesday to prolong their stay in France.

Their reward for finishing second is, oddly enough, an easier path to semi-finals. Italy - which had already won Group E regardless of Wednesday's results - finds itself on the same side of the bracket as Germany, England, France, and Spain. Belgium, meanwhile, would face one of Wales or Northern Ireland if it makes the quarter-finals and potentially Portugal in the semis.