Euro 2024: Why Belgium's Entire Squad Were Booed By Fans After Ukraine Game

• The entire Belgium team were booed at the full-time whistle by their travelling supporters after their match against Ukraine on Wednesday
• The European giants missed the chance to finish top of Group E, with De Bruyne instructing his teammates not to applaud the supporters
• After finishing second in the group, Domenico Tedesco's men will face France in the Round of 16 on Monday, July 1, at the Düsseldorf Arena

Kevin de Bruyne and his Belgium teammates were met with boos from their own supporters after he directed his team to avoid acknowledging the fans after their draw with Ukraine.

The Red Devils managed to secure a place in the Round of 16 at Euro 2024 with a scoreless draw against Ukraine on Wednesday, June 26.

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Entering the match as favourites to lead Group E, Belgium ended up finishing second behind Romania, who topped the group.

Although all teams in the group ended with four points, the dedicing factor was number of goals scored, while Ukraine was eliminated because of an inferior goal difference.

Belgium fans boo their own team

Belgian fans at the Stuttgart Arena expressed their dissatisfaction with the team's performance by booing them off the pitch at the final whistle.

ESPN senior writer Mark Ogden commented on X, saying:

"De Bruyne just told the players to leave the pitch. They tried to applaud their fans, but the boos were so loud that he told the rest to forget it."

Shortly after, when the Manchester City playmaker was announced as the player of the match, the crowd resumed their booing, reacting to their captain's decision. Ogden further noted in another post:

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"KDB's name now being booed after getting the Player of the Match award."

What's next for Belgium?

Finishing second in the group has complicated Belgium's path to the final.

They are now in the same bracket as Germany, Spain, Portugal, and France, having set up a Round of 16 match against Les Bleus.

Belgium will face France on Monday, July 1, at the Düsseldorf Arena, per ESPN. The winner of this match is likely to meet Portugal in the quarter-finals and either Germany or Spain in the semi-finals.

De Bryune tight-lipped on Belgium fan fury

Sports Brief also reported that De Bruyne declined to address fans' response after Belgium's 0-0 draw with Ukraine at Euro 2024.

Instead, the Man City star emphasised the importance of support ahead of the last-16 match against France, stating it was needed.

KDB initially started walking towards the Belgium fans behind the goal but reconsidered as the boos and whistles grew louder.