Belgium fans made their dissatisfaction clear after their team’s 0-0 draw with Ukraine, prompting Kevin De Bruyne to signal for his teammates to quickly exit the field.
The result secured Belgium’s spot in the last 16, but they finished second in Group E following an underwhelming campaign that included a surprising loss to Slovakia.
The Red Devils’ lackluster performance was met with loud boos from their supporters at the final whistle. Despite this, the players initially headed towards the traveling fans to applaud them. However, as the boos intensified, captain De Bruyne turned away and gestured for the squad to head towards the tunnel.
Belgium now face a challenging path to progress further in the tournament, with a last-16 matchup against France and potential encounters with Spain, Portugal, and hosts Germany on their side of the draw.
Kevin De Bruyne signaled for his teammates to quickly exit the field after Belgium fans expressed their disappointment at the final whistle of their 0-0 draw with Ukraine.
The boos followed yet another lackluster performance as Belgium failed to top their group.
Belgium’s path to the knockout stages won’t be easy, as they are set to face France, with Spain, Portugal, and the hosts, Germany, also in the mix.
Beating Didier Deschamps’ team will be a challenge, especially considering Belgium’s performance in the tournament so far.
They struggled to create chances against a resilient Ukraine side, with Romelu Lukaku missing a great opportunity early on, continuing his scoreless start to the competition.
The most notable moments of the game involved De Bruyne, who was repeatedly targeted by a laser pen in the first half. After having a green light flashed in his eyes while taking an early corner, he encountered the same issue while preparing to take a free-kick.
De Bruyne brought the issue to the attention of English referee Anthony Taylor, who briefly halted the game. When play resumed, De Bruyne attempted an ambitious free-kick from the right flank, which evaded the goalkeeper but went into the side-netting.
De Bruyne was targeted by a laser pen from the crowd during the first half.
Belgium struggled to create clear-cut chances for the remainder of the game. As the match drew to a close, they were just one Ukraine goal away from elimination but managed to hold on for a point.
However, their supporters were far from pleased, and they will be expecting a significant improvement when Belgium face France in the knockout stages next week.