The centre-back lined up in the middle of a back three alongside Josko Gvardiol and Josip Sutalo - former Spurs Luka Modric, now 40, and Ivan Perisic also started for Croatia at the Rujevica Stadium in Rijeka.
Vuskovic, who earned rave reviews on loan at Hamburg in the Bundesliga last season, where he contributed six goals in 30 appearances, could do little about Belgium’s opener on 38 minutes, as Jeremy Doku's cross was deflected by Sutalo into the path of Youri Tielemans, who fired low into the corner despite Vuskovic’s efforts to block.
Modric went close and both teams struck the crossbar before Romelu Lukaku sealed it for Belgium with a fine one-on-one finish from a breakaway in the 96th minute.
Elsewhere, Radu Dragusin, who returned from an ACL to feature 11 times for us in the second half of last season, started and completed 90 minutes as Romania drew 1-1 against Georgia in a friendly in Tbilisi.
Wednesday's action