Belgium's manager Roberto Martinez called it quits on Thursday after the team was eliminated from the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Croatia held Belgium at 0-0 by blowing multiple goal-scoring opportunities at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. Romelu Lukaku, who went to the field in the second half, even shot into the post when he was facing an open goal.

"My situation is very clear. This is the end for me," Martinez said at the post-game press conference. "Whatever the result of this tournament, I took the decision before the World Cup. It's all about long term. Since 2018, I could have taken many jobs. I don't resign; it's just ending like this."

Since Martinez replaced Marc Wilmots in managing Belgium in 2016, he led the team to  a third-place finish at the World Cup in Russia in 2018 and then helped them reach the quarterfinal in the UEFA European Championship in 2021. When Belgium secured qualification for Qatar, they were second on FIFA's rankings table, and they still are in that position.

"We are extremely disappointed after the early exit of our national team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar because we have failed and thereby let down the people of Belgium who supported our team all the way through," the Royal Belgian Football Association said in a statement.

"We thank Roberto Martínez for everything he achieved with this Golden Generation as a coach as well as a technical director: four consecutive years number one on the FIFA ranking, a bronze medal at the 2018 World Cup, qualification for the UEFA 2021 Euros, the 2021 UEFA Nations League Final Four and the 2022 World Cup," CEO Peter Bossaert said.

Though Bossaert said Martinez left an "immense legacy" in Belgian football, many think the team's "golden generation," which includes Eden Hazard, Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne, among others, are on a fast track toward an embarrassing end of their era.

"We are surprised by his decision," Michy Batshuayi said. "He told us while crying. It's also the end for some players; a lot of them cried in the dressing room after the game."