Belgium vs. Panama: Team News, Live Stream, TV Info for World Cup 2018

Belgium and Panama begin their 2018 FIFA World Cup campaigns on Monday, when the two nations clash at the Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi, Russia.

Big things are expected from Belgium, as manager Roberto Martinez has a star-studded squad that includes players such as Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku.

Panama are the underdogs in Group G after qualifying for the finals for the first time. They sneaked into the World Cup on the final matchday with a controversial win over Costa Rica that saw them finish third in CONCACAF qualifying.

Date: Monday, June 18

Time: 6 p.m. local time, 4 p.m. (BST), 11 a.m. (ET)

TV Info: BBC 1 (UK), Fox Sports 1 (U.S.)

Live Stream: BBC iPlayer  (UK), Fox Soccer Match Pass (U.S.)

Team News

Belgium have some injury concerns, as defenders Vincent Kompany and Thomas Vermaelen are expected to miss out, per Simon Massart of FIFA.com. Celtic's Dedryck Boyata should come in alongside Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld.

Hazard should feature despite picking up an injury in Belgium's warm-up win over Costa Rica. Martinez said the problem is "nothing to worry about," per The Independent.

Panama have concerns over midfielder Jose Luis Rodriguez, who suffered an injury in training but is expected to be fit for the clash, per the Telegraph.

Midfielders Gabriel Gomez and Anibal Godoy trained away from the group on Saturday but could still be involved, per Samuel McCollin of FIFA.com.

Time For Belgium to Shine at the World Cup

Anything other than a comfortable Belgium win will be seen as a surprise, and they have the firepower to blow Panama away.

Lukaku scored 27 goals in all competitions during his first season at Manchester United, Dries Mertens helped inspire Napoli's title challenge, De Bruyne rivalled Mohamed Salah as the best player in the Premier League and Hazard's penalty won the FA Cup final for Chelsea.

Belgium's final game before the World Cup was a friendly against Costa Rica, which they won 4-1. Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe offered his view of the game:

Martinez has said his players are "100 per cent ready" for their first game against Panama, per Perform (h/t AS).

With a squad full of attacking talent, progression to the knockout stages is the minimum that will be expected from Belgium at the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Panama are one of the lowest-ranked nations in the tournament, as Russian football expert Artur Petrosyan showed:

Reaching the World Cup is a huge landmark for Panama, and anything else will be seen as a bonus given they lack the talent elsewhere in their group, which also contains England and Tunisia.

Panama are expected to adopt a defensive approach and look to frustrate their opponents. While they may not be able to match Belgium in terms of quality, they should not lack for motivation, desire and sheer hard work.