France qualified for the Euro 2024 quarterfinal after beating Belgium 1-0 in a last 16 match in Dusseldorf on Monday (Jul 1). The French national team broke the deadlock just near the end of the match, as experienced Anderlecht defender Jan Vertonghen's own goal in 85th minute sent Belgium out.
France advanced to the European Championship quarterfinals after Randal Kolo Muani's deflected shot secured a 1-0 win over Belgium on Monday (Jul 1). Kolo Muani sent in an effort in the 85th minute that looped up off Belgium defender Jan Vertonghen and over stranded goalkeeper Koen Casteels.
France, led by Didier Deschamps, will play Portugal in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Mbappe, again wearing a mask to protect his broken nose, had five shots but none were on target in a low-quality match between the teams ranked No. 2 (France) and No. 3 (Belgium) who largely canceled each other out.
Mbappe will be playing in his first ever quarterfinal at the European Championship, with France having lost on a penalty shootout to Switzerland in the last 16 at the last tournament in 2021.
It was also a nice moment for Kolo Muani, whose last big moment at a major tournament came when he bore down on goal in the last seconds of extra time in the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina. His shot was saved by Emi Martinez, when a goal would surely have won the title for France.
Belgium heads home after a fairly miserable Euro 2024, during which the players were jeered loudly by their own fans following a 0-0 draw with Ukraine at the end of the group stage.
