Belgium, Romania and Slovakia qualified for the last 16 of Euro 2024 on Wednesday as war-torn Ukraine were left heartbroken by a thrilling end to Group E. Romania’s 1-1 draw with Slovakia in Frankfurt secured the point both nations needed to progress, while Ukraine’s brave effort in a 0-0 draw with Belgium was not enough. All four sides ended the section on four points, but Ukraine paid for their 3-0 defeat to Romania in their opening game as they finished bottom of the group on goal difference.

Belgium could be made to pay for making a meal of a group they were expected to cruise as Domenico Tedesco’s men will face France in the last 16 after finishing second.

Slovakia advance as one of the best third-placed sides and will find out their last 16 opponents, along with Romania, after Wednesday’s final matches in Group F.

Belgium’s mix of veteran talent and rising stars are just one of a host of favoured sides yet to hit their stride in Germany. Their support reacted furiously at the final whistle in Stuttgart, with captain Kevin De Bruyne appearing to tell his team-mates not to go over to acknowledge them as the whistles and jeers grew louder.

Ukraine became the first side since the expansion of the Euros to 24 teams to fail to get out of the group stage with four points.

It was a tale of what might have been for Serhiy Rebrov’s men as Belgium goalkeeper Koen Casteels prevented a corner from crossing the line by centimetres before denying Georgiy Sudakov a memorable winner in stoppage time.

However, in stark contrast to Belgium’s rebuke, the Ukrainians were still handed a hero’s reception at the end by their band of supporters.

“A strong nation is one that remains united and supports each other at all times. Both in times of defeat and in times of victory,” wrote Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky on Telegram.

“Today we thank the Ukrainian national football team. Despite the disappointing result, you fought for our country… Glory to Ukraine!”

In Frankfurt, Romania ensured progress to the knockout stages of a Euros for the first time in 24 years after coming from behind to take a point.

Slovakia went in front on 24 minutes when Ondrej Duda powered home a header. The lead only lasted 13 minutes as Ianis Hagi, son of former Barcelona and Real Madrid star Gheorghe Hagi, won a penalty that was emphatically converted by Razvan Marin.

Ukraine vs Belgium Live Streaming Euro 2024 Live Telecast: When And Where To Watch© AFP

Youri Tielemans breathed new life into Belgium’s Euro 2024 campaign as the Aston Villa midfielder’s goal after just 73 seconds inspired a vital 2-0 win against Romania on Saturday. Domenico Tedesco’s side would have been on the brink of elimination if they had suffered a second successive Group E defeat. But Tielemans’ second-minute strike in Cologne eased fears of yet another major tournament flop from star-studded Belgium. Kevin De Bruyne wrapped up the points in the closing stages to leave all four teams in the group level on three points.

The stage is set for a dramatic final round of fixtures in the battle to reach the last 16.

Belgium face Ukraine and Romania play Slovakia on June 26.

With 45 rungs separating the two nations in FIFA’s rankings, third-placed Belgium’s 1-0 loss to Slovakia on Monday was the biggest upset in European Championship history.

Romania, ranked in 47th place, competed gamely as they chased their own shock, but this time Belgium’s superior class proved decisive.

“I have the same feeling as against Slovakia: we played well but the difference is that we scored and won today,” said Belgium captain De Bruyne.

“We made a few mistakes and gave away a few chances, but we can be satisfied with our performance, both offensively and defensively.”

Having bowed out at the group stage of the 2022 World Cup and lost in the quarter-finals of the last two Euros, Belgium’s golden generation have given themselves fresh hope of finally delivering on their vast potential.

Romania had powered to a 3-0 win against Ukraine on Monday — their first victory in a major tournament since beating England at Euro 2000.

Despite this loss, Edward Iordanescu’s team are still in contention to make the Euro knockout stage for the first time in 24 years.

“We never gave up, we fought very hard. In the second half, we were better. With a bit of luck we could have got a point,” said Romania coach Iordanescu.

Belgium had failed to score in over 300 minutes at major tournaments since netting against Canada at the last World Cup.

They needed less than two minutes to end that drought.

Influential De Bruyne

A sweeping move climaxed when Jeremy Doku’s pass found Romelu Lukaku in the Romania penalty area and he laid the ball back to Tielemans, who smashed a powerful low strike past Florin Nita from the edge of the area.

Romania’s Tottenham defender Radu Dragusin went close to equalising moments later with a towering header that Koen Casteels tipped over at full stretch.

After an injury-plagued season with Manchester City, in which he failed to reach his usual sky-high standards, De Bruyne had looked below his best against Slovakia.

The Belgium captain was far more influential this time, with a lung-bursting surge that ended with a pass to Dodi Lukebakio, whose strike was pushed away by Nita.

Doku was denied by another good stop from Nita after wriggling through the over-worked Romania defence.

Valentin Mihaila wasted a golden opportunity to equalise soon after half-time, pouncing on Amadou Onana’s wayward pass and sprinting clear, only to blaze high into the stands.

De Bruyne was moving through the gears ominously, curling just past the far post from 20 yards, then drawing a smart save from Nita with a shot on the turn.

Lukaku had two goals, including a late equaliser, disallowed by VAR against Slovakia.

The striker was denied by VAR again in the 63rd minute when he converted De Bruyne’s pass before being ruled narrowly offside.

Romania nearly profitted from that escape as Dennis Man raced clear, but couldn’t find the accuracy to beat Casteels.

De Bruyne finally delivered the knockout blow in the 80th minute, running onto Casteels’ long punt and firing past Nita.

“You saw a team with lots of quality, they have speed, they have explosion, power. They are a complete team. They are a candidate to win the title,” Iordanescu said of Belgium.

Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne during Belgium’s 1-0 loss to Slovakia in UEFA Euro 2024.© AFP

Slovakia caused the first upset at Euro 2024 as Ivan Schranz fired the underdogs to a 1-0 win against Belgium on Monday. Francesco Calzona’s side are 45 spots below third-placed Belgium in FIFA’s world rankings. But they made a mockery of the supposed quality gap between the teams with a courageous performance in Frankfurt. Calzona, who also served as Napoli’s interim boss in the second half of last season, had admitted he would be “delighted” with a draw. The Italian got more than he could have dreamed of as Schranz left Belgium reeling after ending his nine-game international goal drought.

Romelu Lukaku missed a host of chances for Belgium and had a late equaliser controversially disallowed by VAR.

Slovakia’s unexpected victory blew Group E wide open, just hours after Romania beat Ukraine 3-0 in Monday’s other match in that pool.

It was a bitter loss for Belgium, who are in danger of once again failing to fulfil their potential at a major tournament.

Belgium’s golden generation has lost much of its lustre since they crashed out of the 2022 World Cup in the group stage.

The Red Devils fell at the quarter-finals in the last two editions of the European Championship, making a third place finish at the 2018 World Cup the highwater mark of a talented but underachieving team once hailed as a potential dynasty.

Dominic Tedesco was appointed to replace Roberto Martinez in February 2023 and led Belgium on a 14-match unbeaten run heading into the Euros.

Before what was billed as a last hurrah for Belgium’s veteran stars, Kevin De Bruyne had insisted they were ready to do “something good” in Germany.

But instead they reverted to type with a spluttering display that puts them under intense pressure to beat Romania in their second group game on Saturday.

Playing in a Belgian record 11th game at major tournaments, Lukaku should have bagged his 86th goal for his country in the second minute.

Jeremy Doku turned adroitly on the halfway line and accelerated menacingly into the Slovakia penalty area, where his cross was poked toward Lukaku by De Bruyne.

Lukaku looked certain to score but his close-range effort was straight at Slovakia keeper Martin Dubravka.

He threatened again moments later, only to let Doku’s pass run away from him after bearing down on goal.

Slovakia punished Lukaku’s profligacy to take the lead in the seventh minute.

Doku was culpable with a wayward pass as he tried to clear, allowing Robert Bozenick to cleverly backheel the ball to Juraj Kucka.

Koen Casteels saved Kucka’s strike but could do nothing about the rebound as Schranz fired home from an acute angle.

Lukaku endured a nightmare evening and he again took a woefully heavy touch to waste a good chance from Yannick Carrasco‘s raking pass.

Belgium’s angst increased in the 56th minute when Lukaku was denied by Dubravka’s near-post save.

From the resulting corner, Amadou Onana looped a header over Dubravka and Lukaku slid in to score from a yard out, only for his celebrations to be curtailed as VAR ruled he was offside.

Belgium laid seige to the Slovakia goal but Dubravka saved well from Trossard and Lukaku volleyed into the side-netting before Johan Bakayoko’s shot was cleared off the line by David Hancko.

And in a fitting coda to a day to forget for Belgium, Lukaku blasted home in the 86th minute but saw the goal disallowed for handball by Lois Openda in the build-up.

Belgium vs Slovakia Live Streaming Euro 2024 Live Telecast: When And Where To Watch© AFP

Cairo:

A man suspected of shooting dead two Swedish football fans and wounding another in Brussels was a 45-year-old Tunisian who had an asylum application rejected in 2020 but continued to live in Belgium illegally, according to Belgian officials.

After an overnight manhunt, police fatally shot the suspect at a cafe in the Schaerbeek district of northern Brussels on Tuesday morning, a day after his deadly attack, which prosecutors are treating as an act of terrorism.

Authorities said initial indications were that the suspect, who they have not named, was working as a lone wolf, rather than as part of a broad network.

In a video claiming responsibility for the attack, he said he was a member of the Islamic State group and gave his name as Abdesalem Al Guilani. Belgian state broadcaster RTBF named him as Abdesalem Lassoued.

At the yellow-brick apartment block in Schaerbeek overlooking a small park where the suspect lived, uniformed police stood guard on Tuesday morning while investigators searched for evidence inside.

The suspect had lived with a partner and their daughter in an apartment one floor up from the ground floor, neighbours said. The partner worked in a women’s hair salon, according to one neighbour, who declined to be named.

“He was the sort of person you would say said hello to, but not much more. He kept himself to himself,” said one woman, standing opposite a door smashed in by police in the apartment above the suspect’s.

“He was polite, there was no indication that something like this might happen,” said a male neighbour.

At a news briefing earlier on Tuesday, as police searched for the suspect, Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne said the man was known to police and suspected of offences including human trafficking and illegal residence.

In 2016, a foreign police service passed on an unconfirmed report that the man had a “radicalised profile” and wanted to go to a war zone to wage jihad, Van Quickenborne said.

It later emerged that his identification as a subject at risk of radicalisation came from Italy, where he had arrived in 2011. He also moved to Sweden, from where he was later expelled.

But the Belgian minister said that there had been “no concrete indication” that the man had been radicalised in the time he was known to the Belgian security services, so he was not on any watchlist.

After his asylum application was denied in October 2020, Belgian authorities said he “disappeared from the radar” before an expulsion order in March 2021 that was not carried out.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said he was not among some 700 people on Belgium’s terror watch list and had not stayed at an asylum-seekers centre, making it more difficult to track and expel him.

“The illegal Tunisian man lived here below the water line and yesterday he struck in a cowardly way towards our society from below the water line,” De Croo said, adding that an expulsion order must be carried out more urgently.

The shooting came at a time of heightened security concerns across much of Europe linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

This year, Belgian authorities received a tip that the man had been convicted of terrorism in Tunisia but the information proved to be false as the man had only been convicted of common law offences, Van Quickenborne said.

Nevertheless, apparently out of an abundance of caution, security authorities had convened a meeting to discuss his case, the minister said.

The meeting had been due to take place on Tuesday – the day he was fatally shot by police.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Brussels:

A 45-year-old Tunisian suspected of killing two Swedish football fans in Brussels has died after being shot by police in a cafe on Tuesday, Belgian media said.

The man, who was shot in the chest, died in hospital from his wounds, media said. There was no immediate official confirmation of his death.

The shooting comes at a time of heightened security concerns in some European countries linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict, though a Belgian federal prosecutor said there was no evidence that the attacker had any link to the recent renewed conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants.

Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden said earlier the wounded man was suspected of being the gunman. She also said she could not rule out that he had had accomplices.

Two Swedish nationals were shot dead and a third one was wounded in central Brussels on Monday night and a man who identified himself as a member of the Islamic State claimed responsibility in a video posted online.

The suspect fled the scene after the shooting as a football match between Belgium and Sweden was about to start, triggering a massive manhunt and prompting Belgium to raise its terror alert to the highest level.

“The weapon with which the attacks were committed has been found this morning where the man was apprehended in (the Brussels borough of) Schaerbeek. That makes the likelihood that the perpetrator has been caught bigger,” Verlinden told VRT broadcaster.

“We are checking fingerprints to be 100% sure.”

Federal prosecutors said they could not yet confirm the identity of the person shot but the Belgian capital’s mayor Philippe Close told BFM TV: “It seems indeed the suspect has been neutralised.”

Prime Minister Alexander De Croo called Monday’s shooting a brutal “terrorist attack”.

“Last night three people left for what was supposed to be a wonderful soccer party. Two of them lost their lives in a brutal terrorist attack,” De Croo told a news conference.

“The perpetrator targeted specifically Swedish supporters who were in Brussels to attend a Red Devils soccer match. Two Swedish compatriots passed away. A third person is recovering from severe injures,” de Croo said.

Belgium was hosting Sweden in a Euro 2024 qualifying match on Monday evening. The match was abandoned at halftime.

The country has raised the security alert status of its capital city to the highest level, with increased police presence, particularly for Swedish people and institutions, and warned the public to be extra vigilant and avoid unnecessary travel.

A man who identified himself as a member of Islamic State claimed responsibility in a video posted online.

SECURITY CONCERNS

The attacker, who unsuccessfully sought asylum in Belgium in November 2019, was known to police in connection with people smuggling, Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne told a news conference.

Sweden’s Sapo security police, who in August raised their terrorism alert to the second-highest level and warned of an increase in threats against Swedes at home and abroad, said they were in contact with their international counterparts.

“We are in a serious situation … Sweden has (over time) ended up in an increasingly clear focus of violent Islamist extremism,” a Sapo spokesperson said in a statement.

The suspected gunman, calling himself Abdesalem Al Guilani, claimed in a video on social media that he was a fighter for Allah.

Video footage of the attack posted on the Het Laatste Nieuws newspaper website showed a man in an orange jacket on a scooter at a street intersection with a rifle first firing five shots, then following people fleeing into a building before firing again.

The newspaper said on Tuesday that police were looking for an accomplice who filmed the attack.

According to a media transcript of the video message recorded by the self-declared perpetrator, he said he had killed Swedes to take revenge in the name of Muslims.

The European Commission, which is based in Brussels, has urged staff to work from home. Some schools were closed.

Belgium has been the target of several Islamist attacks over recent years, the deadliest being the 2016 attack on Brussels airport and the city’s metro, in which 32 people died.

Several of the Islamist gunmen that targeted Paris in a 2015 attack that killed 130 people were Belgian or living in Brussels.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Police cordon off an area where a shooting took place in the center of Brussels, on October 16, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP

Two people were killed during a shooting in Brussels on Monday evening and the suspect was on the run, the Belgian capital’s prosecutor’s office said.

The alleged gunman in a fluorescent orange jacket fled the scene after using an automatic rifle, according to a video shared by Flemish newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.

A video claiming responsibility for the shooting was circulating on social media, in which a man speaks Arabic, a source close to the case said.

A spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office told AFP that an investigation had been opened but did not speculate on the gunman’s motive.

The federal prosecutor in charge of terrorism cases was probing whether there was any possible terrorist motivation for the attack.

The shooting took place in the capital’s northern districts. Police had been alerted to the incident after 7 p.m. local time (1700 GMT).