France beat Belgium to reach Euro 2024 quarter-finals
Only goal sees Randal Kolo Muani strike deflect in off Jan Vertonghen
Didier Deschamps' side will play Portugal or Slovenia in quarter-final
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So, France join Spain, Germany, England and Switzerland in the last eight.
They will meet one of Portugal or Slovenia there.
That's all from us. Have a watch of the highlights from Dusseldorf below.
See you soon!
Highlights: France 1-0 Belgium
FT: France 1-0 Belgium
Next up for France it will be 2016 European Champions Portugal or Slovenia, who play next and you can watch and follow live text commentary of that one here.
Image source, Getty Images
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You can find more content across BBC Sounds with the Football Daily Podcast - your daily dose of all the news, gossip and analysis from Euro 2024.
Plus, there's documentaries on the BBC iPlayer about Kylian Mbappe, Wayne Rooney and plenty more. Check them out!
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Turns out Belgium's Golden generation was just plain yellow....
Phil
FT: France 1-0 Belgium
Izzy Christiansen
Former England midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live
The contrast between these two sides at the end of the game. France are enjoying a moment, Belgium did the same, but they look united. It would be easy for them to go their separate ways. They've taken a moment with their fans, been united and we will see what happens with this Belgian team going forward.
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Spain and Germany the only teams showing any ambition and drive so far. Other teams just passing it around.
Ryan
FT: France 1-0 Belgium
Izzy Christiansen
Former England midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live
In football, I think you can create your own luck, but you have to own it now. It's similar to England, performances you don't expect. There was resilience and cohesion from France and they had good players on the bench who didn't come on. On reflection, the better team went through.
FT: France 1-0 Belgium
Chances were many but good ones were in short supply in Dusseldorf this evening. Here is one from Kylian Mbappe...
'That would have been special!' - Mbappe's effort goes over the bar
And a couple of good bits of defending from France to deny Belgium...
Maignan denies Lukaku's first attempt on goal
'Super challenge!' - Hernandez denies Carrasco's shot on goal
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France still don't look convincing. They're going to have to improve to get past Portugal (assuming they beat Slovenia).
Tom
FT: France 1-0 Belgium
Roy Keane
Former Republic of Ireland captain on ITV
It's tough on them. I think France were the better team. Obviously, the quality wasn't really there.
It wasn't a surprise that it was an own goal that settled the game. You also need a bit of luck. France kept a clean sheet and when you do that, you will always have a chance.
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Positive side; I no longer have to watch this boring Belgium side. Downside; I have to continue watching this boring French side.
Garett
FT: France 1-0 Belgium
Here is the goal that sealed it in the end. It goes down as a Jan Vertonghen own goal which means France are still yet to score from open play at this tournament.
Muani scores deflected winner for France
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De Bruyne has two settings, absolutely out of this world or completely gives up and downs tools. There is no in-between.
Dan
FT: France 1-0 Belgium
Izzy Christiansen
Former England midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live
France are enjoying a moment with their fans because they know they've got a real chance. They march on with a pride and belief they can really kick on.
Image source, Getty ImagesFT: France 1-0 Belgium
Not a classic by any stretch. In fact at times it was downright dull. But France have done enough to reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2024.
For Belgium and their so-called golden generation it's all over.
They stand dejected in front of their supporters as there are scenes of joy at the other end.
Image source, EPAFrance 1-0 Belgium
Izzy Christiansen
Former England midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live
I could understand the game plan from Belgium, but it was really resilient, solid and resolute from France. It has allowed them to kick on into the quarter-finals.
FT: France 1-0 Belgium
Ally McCoist
Former Scotland striker on ITV
France were probably the better team and to be honest, the game lacked real quality and I think that was probably underwhelming for a lot of people.
It was a scrappy goal and it was a scrappy game.
Image source, Getty ImagesFrance 1-0 Belgium
That is that.
France are into the Euro quarter-finals!
Image source, ReutersFrance 1-0 Belgium
Orel Mangala goes into the book for dragging down Randal Kolo Muani, who had got on a run. He had to do that.
France 1-0 Belgium
The corner comes to nothing. It's now or never for Belgium. Final few seconds of stoppage time.
Highlights: France 1-0 Belgium
A late own goal by Jan Vertonghen sent France into the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 at Belgium's expense.
A game that had lacked quality and excitement for large periods looked destined for extra time, but a shot by substitute Randal Kolo Muani deflected off Vertonghen with five minutes remaining to seal the victory at Dusseldorf Arena.
France had missed several chances before that as once again their lack of a cutting edge let them down, and even captain Kylian Mbappe put efforts he would normally finish wide.
Belgium could even have taken the lead themselves before France's late goal as Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne charged into space through the middle, but his shot was pushed behind by Mike Maignan.
That had been the below-par Belgians only decent opportunity as France closed out the final few minutes to progress to the last eight, where they will face Portugal after their dramatic penalty shootout win over Slovenia.
France have reached the quarter-finals without one of their players scoring a goal from open play
Didier Deschamps' side were deserved winners, but this will be relief more than anything for the 2018 world champions as they once again struggled to turn chances into goals.
They dominated play for large periods, but only managed a single shot on target in the first half when Antoine Griezmann's low strike from distance was comfortably saved.
In Mbappe they have one of the world's best forwards but even he found it difficult when faced with shooting opportunities, notably curling over in the second half after having done well initially to make the space for himself.
In the end they finished with 19 shots on goal but just two of those were on target, while they are still waiting for one of their own players to score a goal from open play in Germany.
In a theme that will be familiar to a number of the bigger sides left in Euro 2024, France are struggling to play at the level they are capable of but for now they will celebrate being one step closer to the final.
Belgium were booed off the pitch by some fans when they could only manage a draw against Ukraine in their final group game, but in the hours before this match there was hope from their supporters that they would lift their game against the French.
However, once again they were far too cautious for long periods and their threatening moments were all too brief.
But they should have made France pay for their profligacy with De Bruyne’s effort in the closing stages, while Romelu Lukaku, who exits Euro 2024 without scoring a goal, also saw a low shot pushed away in the second half.
Like Croatia, this has felt like one final throw of the dice for Belgium's 'golden generation', with the likes of De Bruyne and Lukaku now into their 30s.
And, like Croatia, they exit the tournament wondering if this was ultimately a missed opportunity for what could have been with this group of players.
After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 7 |
| |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| |
| 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 3 |
| |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 1 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 2 |
| |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 1 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| |
| 2 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 2 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| |
| 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 1 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 4 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 |
| |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| |
| 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 1 |
|
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | Points | Form, Last 6 games, Oldest first |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| |
| 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 3 |
| |
| 6 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 2 |
|
Manager: Didier Deschamps
Formation: 4 - 3 - 3
Manager: Domenico Tedesco
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
Manager: Didier Deschamps
Formation: 4 - 3 - 3
Manager: Domenico Tedesco
Formation: 4 - 4 - 2
UEFA European Championship
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This will be France and Belgium’s 76th encounter. It’s France’s most frequent all-time opponent, having faced the Belgians nearly twice as much as any other team (39 meetings each with Italy & Switzerland). Meanwhile, Belgium have only faced the Netherlands (129 times) on more occasions than the French.
France have won all four of their previous matches against Belgium at a major tournament (WC + EURO), scoring 13 goals and conceding only three. Their only previous meeting at a EURO was 40 years ago, in 1984 – France won 5-0 in the group stages courtesy of a Michel Platini hat-trick and goals from Alain Giresse and Luis Fernandez on their way to their first EURO trophy.
France scored just two goals in the EURO 2024 group stage, their fewest in a major tournament group stage since the 2010 World Cup (1). Their two goals came via a Max Wöber own goal for Austria and a Kylian Mbappé penalty, having 47 non-penalty attempts without finding the net. Indeed, the only goal they conceded was a penalty, meaning their group games had 70 non—penalty shots overall without success.
Belgium have advanced to the knockout stages of a third consecutive UEFA EUROs tournament, having reached the quarter-final at both EUROs 2016 and 2020. The Red Devils have won each of their last four last 16 games at major tournaments (World Cup/EUROs) since defeat to Brazil in the 2002 World Cup (0-2).
France have drawn five of their last six UEFA EURO matches (W1), having only drawn four of their previous 25 games in the competition (W14 L7). Their round of 16 match at EURO 2020 was a 3-3 draw with Switzerland, eventually going out 5-4 on penalties.
Only Serbia (3.8%) had a poorer shot conversion rate in the group stage of EURO 2024 than both Belgium and France (both 4.2% - 2 goals from 48 shots). Indeed, Belgium have scored just three goals in six games across the last two major tournaments (2022 World Cup & EURO 2024), scoring from just 3.6% of their shots (3/83), and underperforming their expected goals by 6.15 (3 goals from 9.15 xG).
This will be France manager Didier Deschamps’ 15th match at the UEFA EURO as manager, taking him level with both Lars Lagerbäck (incl. games as joint manager) and Fernando Santos, with only Joachim Löw taking charge of more games at the EUROs (21 games). His seven wins are also only bettered by Löw (12).
During the group stage at EURO 2024, Belgium were the team with the highest share of their line-breaking passes being those that broke the opposition’s defensive line (18%). Indeed, Kevin De Bruyne broke the opponent’s defensive line on more occasions than any other midfielder in the group stage (11).
Kylian Mbappé netted his first ever goal at the UEFA EURO in the group stage against Poland. It took his tally to 13 goals across the EURO and World Cup, with only Michel Platini (14 in 19 games) ever scoring more for France across those two tournaments. Mbappé is also only two goals away from becoming the third French player to score 50 goals in all competitions, after Olivier Giroud (57) and Thierry Henry (51).
In the EURO 2024 group stages, N'Golo Kanté ranked top among his French teammates for chances created (7), tackles (7) and pressures applied (216), while he was joint top for interceptions (3) and line-breaking passes under pressure (15). He has also never ended on the losing side in a major tournament match for France (P18 W12 D6).
