Euro 2024: four things to know about Belgium, the French team's next opponent in the round of 16

Lukaku, muet contre l'Ukraine, sera le danger numéro un des Bleus.

Second in Group E at the end of the third and final day, Wednesday June 26, the Red Devils will face the Blues, Monday July 1 in Düsseldorf.

Belgium also went through the back door

Like the French team, Belgium has not had the start of a sovereign Euro. It even started with the most negative by bowing to the unexpected Slovakia. The Red Devils were caught cold by Ivan Schranz in the 7th minute and were particularly disappointing.

They managed to avoid elimination and raise the bar in the second match, won against Romania, 2-0. This time, former Monegasque Youri Tielemans launched his team perfectly from the 2nd minute. Before captain Kevin De Bruyne ended the suspense (80th). But between these two goals, the Belgians also offered spaces and situations to the Romanians. On Wednesday, the Belgians could not do better than a draw (0-0) against Ukraine.  

The end of a golden generation

The tank was impressive. From Thibaut Courtois to Vincent Kompany, including Marouane Fellaini, Eden Hazard, Axel Witsel, Kevin De Bruyne and Dries Mertens, the Red Devils had a complete team for ten years in all positions.

But this "golden generation" will never rhyme with trophy. Rather with quarter-finals: at the 2014 World Cup and during Euro 2016 and 2021. With a climax, a World Cup semi-final, in 2018, lost against France. The end began to be felt in Qatar with elimination in the group stage.

Of this generation, there are only three left in the current group: Kevin De Bruyne, Lukaku and Jan Verthonghen.

A "seum" for history

If France had Seville 1982, Belgium still has the nightmare of Saint Petersburg 2018. The fault of the French team. Victorious over Brazil in the quarter-final (1-2) during one of the most beautiful matches of the Russian World Cup, the Belgian selection thought they had done the hardest part. She came across a blue block that never gave way. And ended up breaking the Red Devils' progress thanks to a goal from Samuel Umtiti from a corner (1-0).

Samuel Umtiti – Casse la démarche

Demi-finale de la Coupe du Monde face à la Belgique, Umtiti dévie au premier poteau et nous sort son plus beau déhanché, de quoi augmenter le seum belge..

CASSE LA DÉMARCHE COMME SAMUEL SAMUEL UMTITI pic.twitter.com/CtxnbcRO18

— MoreZanFootball (@MoreZanFootball) September 13, 2020

"We lose against a team that is no better than us, that plays nothing, that defends… It's a shame for football that Belgium didn't win!", reacted quickly to goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The "seum" was born.

His legend has lived on ever since. This was particularly due to the stunning success of the French team in the semi-final of the Nations League. In Turin, on October 7, 2021, the Blues were trailing 2-0 at the break. Before winning 3-2. Seum always.

The numbers: 3 and 75

After breaking the record for the number of goals during the qualifiers (14), Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku should be the top scorer of the Euro. Problem, his counter is still stuck at zero.

The fault of three goals refused by the VAR to the top Belgian scorer in history (117 caps, 85 goals) during the first two matches.

France and Belgium adore each other. And not just for the pleasure of inventing jokes about each other. On the field, they have already crossed paths 75 times. The first, on May 1, 1904 for a 3-3 draw. The last, on October 7, 2021 during the famous 3-2 in Turin.