Yardbarker
x
Own goal eliminates Belgium, sends France to Euro quarterfinals
Jan Vertonghen of Belgium. picture alliance

Watch: Own goal eliminates Belgium, sends France to Euro quarterfinals

By Austen Bundy  |  Last updated Jul 1, 2024 2:08 PM ET

An unfortunate deflection in the final minutes of Belgium's Round of 16 match against France ended up deciding which squad advanced to the Euro quarterfinals.

Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen stepped up to block French forward Randal Kolo Muani's shot from inside the right edge of the penalty box but the ball took a deflection off of his knee and into his own net.

The 85th minute mistake cost Belgium a spot in the quarterfinals, seeing 2022 World Cup finalist France through to the next round after a mostly uneventful 1-0 victory.

The defeat is the first time since the 2016 edition that Belgium did not advance to the quarterfinals.

France will face the winner of Portugal and Slovenia, who play later on Monday afternoon.

Austen Bundy
Twitter/X

Austen Bundy is a journalist and sports junkie from the Washington, D. C. area

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.