Romelu Lukaku had two goals disallowed as Slovakia clinched a surprise 1-0 victory over tournament favorites Belgium. Slovakia held on resiliently after a defensive error led to Ivan Schranz scoring early in the match, giving his team a strong start in Euro 2024 against the world’s third-ranked side.
Francesco Calzona’s team is ranked 45 spots below Belgium in FIFA’s world rankings.
In a courageous performance in Frankfurt, Slovakia defied expectations of a quality gap between the teams. Francesco Calzona, who also managed Napoli temporarily last season, had initially aimed for a draw but exceeded his expectations when Ivan Schranz scored, ending Belgium’s nine-game international goal drought.
Romelu Lukaku missed several opportunities for Belgium, including a controversially disallowed late equalizer reviewed by VAR. Slovakia’s unexpected victory has thrown Group E wide open, following Romania’s earlier 3-0 win over Ukraine in the same pool.
The defeat was bitter for Belgium, highlighting their recurring struggle to fulfill their potential in major tournaments since their disappointing exit from the 2022 World Cup group stage.
The Belgian national team, known as the Red Devils, reached the quarter-finals in the last two editions of the European Championship, with their third-place finish in the 2018 World Cup standing as their peak achievement. Once considered potential dynasts, they have struggled to meet expectations.
Dominic Tedesco took over from Roberto Martinez in February 2023 and guided Belgium through a 14-match unbeaten streak leading up to the Euros. Despite veteran stars like Kevin De Bruyne expressing confidence in their readiness to achieve something significant in Germany, Belgium faltered with a disappointing performance.
Now, they face significant pressure to secure a crucial victory against Romania in their upcoming group game on Saturday.
