Kevin De Bruyne hits out at 'golden generation' question after Belgium's Euro 2024 exit

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·2 de julio de 2024

Kevin De Bruyne hits out at 'golden generation' question after Belgium's Euro 2024 exit

Red Devils knocked out after late France strike

Kevin De Bruyne revealed he will decide after the summer whether to retire from international football, following Belgium’s Euro 2024 exit at the hands of France.

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Belgium’s wait for a first major trophy goes on after a Jan Vertonghen own-goal from Randal Kolo Muani’s deflected strike handed the French victory to set up a quarter-final against Portugal.

Manchester City star De Bruyne, 33, earned his 105th cap and said he will consider his international future. “It’s too early to answer,” he said. “Let me process this loss. It’s a been a very long season. I need to rest my body. I will make my decision after the summer. Our plan was good until their goal came. It’s unfortunate.”

A tetchy De Bruyne took one reporter to task for mentioning that a Belgian ‘golden generation’ including himself, Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois have never won international silverware.

“What is a ‘golden generation’?” De Bruyne asked. “You say that France and England and Spain and Germany is not a golden generation?”

Belgium manager Domenico Tedesco said he hopes De Bruyne commits to play on until after the 2026 World Cup.

Meanwhile, France head coach Didier Deschamps said: “It’s beautiful — we delivered a solid game. It was tight, but we had more possession and opportunities.

“We did a lot of good things. We have to enjoy it, not belittle it. We’re in the quarters and they’re going home.”

Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman has left the French camp to join his wife in Sweden ahead of the birth of his fourth child. The French FA suggested he may return before the end of the tournament.