Belgian sights firmly set on World Cup victory - Vermaelen

Soccer Football - World Cup - Belgium Press Conference - Belgium Training Camp, Dedovsk, Russia - July 8, 2018 Belgium's Thomas Vermaelen during the press conference REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Belgium will be deeply disappointed if they fail to win the World Cup, defender Thomas Vermaelen said on Sunday, in the first direct acknowledgement of the team’s belief in their ability to emerge triumphant in Russia.

While other players have kept up a steady mantra of taking the tournament one game at a time, the 32-year-old defender make clear his vista was firmly focussed on next Sunday’s final at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium.