Belgium hosts Sweden at the Stade Roi Baudouin in Brussels, Belgium for the Euro 2024 Qualifier match. The Red Devils have already qualified for the final tournament in Germany, next summer but the Swedish hopes of qualifying for the campaign is hanging by a thread. They will be needed to beat Belgium and hope that second place Austria slip up to keep their chances alive.

Belgium have won five of their six games and drawn one, which show how much of a dominant force Domenico Tedesco's team been. The Red Devils, after their disappointing 2022 World Cup campaign have managed to turn things around in their favour.

They book their tickets to Germany in their previous match against Austria, where they beat them 3-2. Belgium and Austria were the top two teams of Group F, and a win for either one of them confirmed qualification.

And Euro Qualifier's record goalscorer, Romelu Lukaku's goal proved to be vital for Belgium's qualification. They match seemed to be edging towards a draw, which would've been a more fairer result but Belgium came out on top.

Domenico Tedesco would like Belgium to perform better and go further in the 2024 Euros after their disappointing exits in their last two tournaments. They're 10 points clear of Sweden and likely to make their qualification a little harder.

As stated earlier, Sweden's chances are hanging by a thread. A win for the Austrians will do it for them but Sweden have made it extremely difficult for themselves at the moment. Even if they beat Belgium, their fate is not in their own hands.

In their previous encounter against Belgium, Sweden lost 3-0 in the opening day of the Euro 2024 Qualifier. Since then, Janne Andersson's team have managed to pick up just six points.

Sweden are on the verge of missing out on the Euros for the first time since 1996 but to avoid that they will be looking to get into the playoffs, which is more realistic for them at the moment.

Team News

Domenico Tedesco took over a Belgium side reeling from their stunning group-stage exit from the FIFA World Cup last year. The post-Roberto Martinez era has gotten off to an excellent start with the Red Devils winning six of the seven games.

They will now hope to wrap up the Euro 2024 qualifying campaign on a high. Belgium secured their spot in next summer's Championship following their 3-2 win against Austria last time around. Unlike Janne Andersson, Tedesco will have the option to rotate his squad on Monday night. They will be without Amadou Onana, who is suspended following his sending-off last time around.

Thibaut Courtois and Kevin De Bruyne are dealing with long-term injuries, while Leandro Trossard and Ameen Al-Dakhil both withdrew due to injuries. Goalkeeper Koen Casteels is also not in the fray after he was sent home owing to illness.

Janne Andersson is looking at the potential ruins of a campaign that will once again see the Scandinavian miss out on a major international tournament.

Belgium are a step ahead of their opponents on the night and showcased that gulf in the opening day thrashing in Sweden. The Scandinavians will have their work cut out to go to Belgium and come away with all three points that are needed to keep their bleak hopes alive.

Having seen a largely rotated side sweep Moldova aside in the friendly earlier this week, Sweden will be expected to play their strongest XI on Monday night. Belgium are expected to rotate their players but will still go into the game as favourites.

Belgium vs Sweden Possible Lineups

Belgium Possible Lineup: Sels; Castagne, Faes, Vertonghen, Theate; Tielemans, Mangala, Vermeeren; Lukebakio, Lukaku, Doku.

Sweden Possible Lineup: Olsen; Wahlqvist, Lindelof, Lagerbielke, Augustinsson; Kulusevski, Ekdal, K. Olsson, Karlsson; Claesson, Gyokeres

Belgium is set to host Italy in a fiery encounter in the UEFA Nations League group game, scheduled to kick off at 1:15 AM IST on 15 November 2024. The match will take place at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium.

Who is going to take top spot in Group A2? 🤔#NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/erlN2PCYQ7

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) November 11, 2024

Belgium is currently in the 3rd position in the Nations League Group A2 having 4 points in 4 matches. Belgium snatched a point against Italy in the Nations League encounter in October 2024, as Leandro Trossard put up a brilliant performance with 1 goal and 1 assist in the 2-2 draw.

However, Belgium lost 1-2 against France in their last outing in the Nations League. Domenico Tedesco's men bagged only one win in their last five matches; so they will be hungry for a win against Italy.

Last 5 Matches: L W L D L

On the contrary, Italy is currently positioned 1st in the Nations League Group A2, with 10 points in 4 matches. The Azzurri will focus on another win to increase their gap with second-placed France and solidify their chance of qualifying for the semi-finals, before facing France in the last group game on 18 November 2024. 

Luciano Spalletti's men thrashed Israel by 4-1 in their last game following a 2-2 draw against Belgium at San Siro. However, they will meet again tonight in the Nations League encounter.

Last 5 Matches: L W W D W 

Match Details

Match: Belgium vs Italy

Date: 15 November 2024

Time: 1:15 AM IST

Venue: King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium

Streaming Details

Indian viewers can stream the game live on the SonyLIV app and website. The TV broadcast will be on Sony Sports Network channels.

Head-to-head Stats (Since 2000)

Matches Played: 7

Belgium wins: 1

Italy wins: 5

Draws: 1

Previous Records

Since 2000, Belgium and Italy have faced each other 7 times. Italy has the lion's share in winning as they have won 5 times in this fixture. Belgium has won only once since 2000. The other match ended in a draw, which was the last meeting between these two teams in October 2024. 

Here are the previous records between these two teams since 2000:

Both in international and club football, goals often steal the limelight but in most cases, the orchestration that creates the pathway of a goal is an assist from a teammate. Every player plays very less international matches compared to club games and that is why it is tougher to accumulate a huge number of goals and assists in international football.

There are some players whose longevity, creativity, and passion for the game let them enter the chart of the players with most assists in international football. Let's look at the list consisting of the top 10 players. 

10. David Beckham - 36 Assists

The British football sensation, David Beckham made his debut with the England national team in 1996 and made 115 appearances before retiring from international football in May 2013.

Beckham was the Ballon d'Or Runner-up in 1999 and he was named English Player of the Year in 2003. In 2008, the FA enlisted him in the English Football Hall of Fame.  

Along with 17 international goals, Beckham also made 36 assists which makes him 10th in the list. 

9. Mesut Ozil - 40 Assists

One of the greatest playmakers the game has ever witnessed, Mesut Ozil debuted in 2009 for the Germany national team. Ozil played in three world cups with Germany and won the coveted trophy in 2014. 

Ozil retired from international football as a form of protest after Germany crashed out of the group stage in the 2018 World Cup and the DFB President Grindel accused him of racism. However, Ozil won the German Player of the Year Award 5 times in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016.

Before retiring, Ozil already made 92 appearances for Germany and had 40 assists by his name. 

8. Pele - 47 Assists*

Arguably one of the greatest footballers of all time, Pele debuted for the Brazil national team at the age of 16 in 1957 in a friendly against Argentina. He lifted three World Cups (formerly known as the Jules Rimet Trophy) for Brazil in 1958, 1962, and 1970 which is a Guinness record for the most World Cup wins by a single player.

The TIME named him as the greatest footballer of the 20th century and Reuters named him as the Greatest athlete of the century in 1999. 

According to some estimated data, Pele made 92 appearances for Brazil and he provided 47 assists before retiring from international football in 1977. 

7. Cristiano Ronaldo - 47 Assists

One of the most influential athletes of the 21st century and considered one of the greatest footballers ever, Cristiano Ronaldo debuted in the Portugal national team in 2003 and made a significant effect in Portuguese football for almost 22 years. 

Winning the EURO 2016 and UEFA Nations League 2018-19 for Portugal, the five-time Ballon winner established himself as the greatest Portuguese footballer of all-time.

Cristiano is now the captain of the national team and he has made 216 appearances for Portugal so far. He is the highest goalscorer ever in the history of international football as well with 133 goals by his name. Besides his brilliant goalscoring prowess, Ronaldo has also made 47 assists in international matches so far.

6. Kevin De Bruyne - 49 Assists

Kevin De Bruyne is one of the finest midfielders of this generation for his exquisite playmaking ability and skillful display on the pitch. He is considered one of the greatest Belgian footballers ever and he was a very crucial part of the famous Golden Generation of Belgium. 

He was a memorable part of the Belgium squad that finished third in the 2018 World Cup and was included in the official 2018 WC Dream Team.

The 33-year-old midfielder made his Belgium senior team debut in 2010 and has made 107 appearances so far. During this journey, De Bruyne has provided 49 assists as of now.  

5. Sandor Kocsis - 50 Assists*

The Hungarian forward Sandor Peter Kocsis stands fifth on the list. Kocsis debuted for the Hungary national team in 1948 at the age of 18 and played almost 70 matches before retiring in 1966. 

Kocsis was the highest goalscorer in the 1954 World Cup with 11 goals including two hat-tricks. He also scored 6 goals for the Hungary national team in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and led them to win the Gold medal.

According to estimated data sources, Sandor Kocsis scored 75 goals for the national team and he also made 50 assists in international football.

4. Ferenc Puskás - 53 Assists*

Another Hungarian, and probably the greatest Hungarian footballer ever, Ferenc Puskás made his debut for the Hungary national team in 1945. He played 85 games for the national team and scored 84 goals. 

Puskás was another crucial part of the Hungary team that won the Gold medal in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics as he scored 4 goals in that tournament. Puskás also scored 4 goals in the 1954 World Cup including the opening goal in the final but Hungary lost to West Germany by 2-3. 

Puskás also played for the Spain national team for 4 times. He was named European Player of the 20th Century by L'Equipe. 

Before retiring from football in 1966, Puskás had 53 assists by his name. 

3. Lionel Messi - 57 Assists

Arguably considered the greatest footballer ever, Lionel Messi is both one of the best goalscorers and playmakers to ever grace the game. Debuting in 2005, Lionel Messi has made 189 appearances for the Argentina national team so far. 

Messi's greatest honour with the national team came in 2022 when he led Argentina to win the 2022 World Cup, and he was named the Best Player of the Tournament. Messi is the only player to win two Golden Ball awards in 2014 and 2022. 

The record 8-time Ballon winner also won two Copa Americas with Argentina, consecutively in 2021 and 2024. 

With 112 goals for the national team, he also made 57 assists in international games and he will surely surpass the toppers of the list in his remaining appearances for Argentina. 

2. Neymar Jr. - 58 Assists

The greatest Brazilian footballer of this generation, Neymar Jr. is another forward whose display is not only exquisite in goalscoring but also in playmaking. 

Neymar Jr. made his debut with the Brazilian national team in 2010 and won the Golden Ball for being selected as the best player of the tournament in Brazil's Confederations Cup triumph in 2013. He scored 4 goals and made 2 assists in 5 matches in that tournament.

However, after suffering a horrendous injury in the 2014 World Cup, Neymar led the Brazil team to win the Olympics Gold on home soil in the 2016 Rio Olympics. 

Neymar is also the all-time highest goalscorer of Brazil's national football team with 79 goals by his name. Neymar is tied with the leader on this list with his 58 assists in 129 international appearances but he will surely clinch the top spot in his remaining career. 

1. Landon Donovan - 58 Assists

The USMNT footballing legend is the leader in this list which may shock some but does not demean his excellence. Landon Donovan is considered the greatest footballer the USMNT has ever had. Making his debut in 2000 for the USMNT, he made 157 appearances before retiring from international football in 2014. 

Landon Donovan appeared in 3 editions of the World Cup and scored 5 goals in 12 World Cup appearances. He also won 4 CONCACAF Gold Cups with USMNT in 2002, 2005, 2007, and 2013. After his retirement, Donovan was named as the greatest-ever USMNT player by The Guardian.

Landon Donovan is still atop the list with 58 international assists by his name. 

NB: In case of starred (*) players, there are no authentic records, and their stats are mostly estimated by various sources. 

Hello and welcome to another live coverage of the UEFA Euro 2024 football match. Tonight we will be covering the high-voltage knockout game between France and Belgium. Both teams have underperformed despite having tremendous potential in their squads. The winner of this France vs Belgium round of 16 match will be playing their quarter-final match against the winner between Portugal and Slovenia.

Do you know which teams qualified for the Round of 16 of  Euro 2024?

This is Koushik Biswas, who will bring you all the live updates of this match from the web desk. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook for all the match updates.

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The UEFA Euro 2024 will be the 17th edition of the competition. Germany will host the tournament this time, which is set to take place from 14 June to 14 July 2024. However, several important and high-profile players are set to miss the competition as their respective national sides couldn't get past the qualification stages. One of them is Man City forward Erling Haaland as Norway finished third in the Group A points table of the qualifiers. In this article, we'll look at the star players who will miss the upcoming Euro 2024 in Germany.

Read Also: UEFA Euro 2024: From Gavi to Curtois here are the star footballers who will miss the Euros

Star Footballers to miss the UEFA Euro 2024

Erling Haaland - Norway 

Norway Football team's hopes of automatic qualification for Euro 2024 were ended by Spain on October 15, 2023. A few days later, their play-off chances were ended too. But, Norway were eliminated long before when they suffered a 2-1 loss at home to Scotland. Erling Haaland wasn't available in that match as the match was just one week after the Champions League final in Istanbul. Norway finished third in the Group A points table of the Euro qualifiers and The Scandinavians' hopes of playing in the Euros ended.

Aleksei Miranchuk - Russia

Since February 2022, FIFA and UEFA imposed a ban on all Russian club and national teams featuring in the competitions following Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine. Russia were not involved in Euro 2024 qualifiers because of the ban and they are set to miss the tournament in Germany. Aleksei Miranchuk, the 28-year-old star midfielder who plays for Atalanta scored the winner against Finland in the previous Euros. Russia had qualified for six of the previous seven European Championships since becoming a FIFA member ahead of Euro '96.

Evan Ferguson - Ireland

Ireland failed to qualify for Euro 2024, after finishing second-bottom in their group with six points from eight matches. Their two wins came against last-placed Gibraltar and ended their qualification campaign with a 1-0 defeat away to the Netherlands. Evan Ferguson, the 19-year-old Brighton striker sustained an injury that ruled him out of his national team's Euro 2024 qualifying games against France and Netherlands. It is a huge miss for a talent like Evan Ferguson to not appear in a competition like the Euros.

Read Also: Women In Sports: Female Football Players Who Inspired The World

Victor Lindelof, Dejan Kulusevski, Alexander Isak - Sweden

Victor Lindelof, a defender of Manchester United is another player whose face the football fans will be missing in the upcoming Euros. Sweden finished third in their qualifying group F, nine points behind second-finished Austria. It is not like Sweden is a weak team or anything but they still failed to qualify. Victor Lindelof is the captain of the side and he was not able to lead the team to the upcoming competition. Sweden didn't perform like the fans expected. They have players like Isak, Kulusevski, and Forsberg but still couldn't manage to get past the qualifying stage. This is the first time since 1996 that Sweden have failed to qualify for a European Championship.

Konstantinos Tsimikas - Greece

Greece lost to Georgia 4-2 on penalties in the final of the Euro 2024 play-off which means they will not progress to the competition despite delivering a strong performance in the semi-finals against Kazakhstan. Georgia had never won against Greece and had never reached the finals of any major competition, while Greece had not made it to the finals of a major tournament since Brazil in 2014. Greece's elimination also means that Liverpool's defender Konstantinos Tsimikas will also miss the Euros.

Eljif Elmas - North Macedonia

North Macedonia failed to make the EURO 2024 finals that will start in Germany in June. They were eliminated in a tough qualifying group. England and defending champions Italy were the best two teams from Group C and they booked their places in the competition. North Macedonia qualified for the EURO 2020 to make history but they were eliminated at the group stage after losing to the Netherlands, Ukraine, and Austria. Eljif Elmas, a key player of Macedonia later said that he still dreamt of playing in another huge competition with his national team. Elmas has appeared in 58 games for North Macedonia and scored 12 goals for his country since making his debut in 2017.

Teemu Pukki - Finland

Wales beat Finland in the semi-finals of the Euro 2024 qualifiers by 4-1 to knock them out of the competition. Teemu Pukki did score in the game but ended on the losing side. Pukki led them to Euro 2020 but Finland knocked out off the group stage after losing to Denmark and Belgium. But, this time they are going to miss the tournament after delivering a horrible performance in the semi-finals of the qualifiers against Wales.

Ethan Ampadu - Wales

Ethan Ampadu who recently appeared in his 51st match with the national side, will miss the upcoming Euros in Germany after Wales' elimination from the finale of the qualifiers. Wales missed out on qualification for Euro 2024 after suffering a penalty shootout defeat in their play-off final against Poland in Cardiff. It could have been Ampadu's first huge tournament with his national side but unfortunately will have to wait for now. Wales qualified for the Euro 2020 and even got past the group stage but were eliminated in the round of 16 after losing by 4-0 to Denmark.

The UEFA EURO 2024 draw took place on Saturday, December 2. Wales will take part in the play-offs in March of next year, and discover who awaits them in the finals should they qualify. Germany are the host nation for next summer's tournament. West Germany hosted the tournament back in 1988, but this will be the first time Germany has staged the European Championship since reunification. Defending Champion Italy will face Spain for the fifth EURO in a row, while hosts Germany will meet Scotland in the opening game of the competition.

Also Read: FIFA U-17 World Cup 2023: List of all the award winners

In total, 24 teams will qualify through the results of the European Qualifiers. 21 of the 24 teams are now known, with only the three teams to progress from the play-offs still to be decided.

EURO 2024 Playoffs:

Semi-Finals (Thursday 21 March) -

• Path A: Poland vs Estonia, Wales vs Finland

• Path B: Israel vs Iceland, Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Ukraine

• Path C: Georgia vs Luxembourg, Greece vs Kazakhstan

Finals (Tuesday 26 March) -

• Path A: Wales / Finland vs Poland / Estonia

• Path B: Bosnia and Herzegovina / Ukraine vs Israel / Iceland

• Path C: Georgia / Luxembourg vs Greece / Kazakhstan

Euro 2024 Groups:

• Group A - Germany, Scotland, Hungary, Switzerland

• Group B - Spain, Croatia, Italy, Albania

• Group C - Slovenia, Denmark, Serbia, England

• Group D - Play-off winner A, Netherlands, Austria, France

• Group E - Belgium, Slovakia, Romania, Play-off winner B

• Group F - Turkey, Play-off winner C, Portugal, Czech Republic

Also Read: Top 10 Defenders with Most Goals in the 21st Century

Host Cities:

• Berlin - Olympiastadion Berlin

• Cologne - Cologne Stadium (RheinEnergieSTADION)

• Dortmund - BVB Stadion Dortmund (Signal Iduna Park)

• Dusseldorf - Dusseldorf Arena (MERKUR SPIEL-ARENA)

• Frankfurt - Frankfurt Arena (Deutsche Bank Park)

• Gelsenkirchen - Arena AufSchalke (Veltins-Arena)

• Hamburg - Volksparkstadion Hamburg

• Leipzig - Leipzig Stadium (Red Bull Arena)

• Munich - Munich Football Arena (Allianz Arena)

• Stuttgart - Stuttgart Arena (MHPArena)

The final will take place at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Sunday July 14.

UEFA Euro 2024 Group Stages Fixtures:

Friday, June 14:
Germany vs Scotland (Munich)

Saturday, June 15:

• Spain vs Croatia (Berlin)

• Italy vs Albania (Dortmund)

• Hungary vs Switzerland (Cologne)

Sunday, June 16:

• Serbia vs England (Gelsenkirchen)

• Poland/Wales/Finland/Estonia vs Netherlands (Hamburg)

• Slovenia vs Denmark (Stuttgart)

Monday, June 17:

• Austria vs France (Dusseldorf)

• Belgium vs Slovakia (Frankfurt)

• Romania vs Israel/Bosnia & Herzegovina/Ukraine/Iceland (Munich)

Tuesday, June 18:

• Portugal vs Czech Republic (Leipzig)

• Turkey vs Georgia/Greece/Kazakhstan/Luxembourg (Dortmund)

Wednesday, June 19:

• Croatia vs Albania (Hamburg)

• Scotland vs Switzerland (Cologne)

• Germany vs Hungary (Stuttgart)

Thursday, June 20:

• Spain vs Italy (Gelsenkirchen)

• Denmark vs England (Frankfurt)

• Slovenia vs Serbia (Munich)

Friday, June 21:

• Poland/Wales/Finland/Estonia vs Austria (Berlin)

• Netherlands vs France (Leipzig)

• Slovakia vs Israel/Bosnia & Herzegovina/Ukraine/Iceland (Dusseldorf)

Saturday, June 22:

• Georgia/Greece/Kazakhstan/Luxembourg vs Czech Republic (Hamburg)

• Turkey vs Portugal (Dortmund)

• Belgium vs Romania (Cologne)

Sunday, June 23:

• Switzerland vs Germany (Frankfurt)

• Scotland vs Hungary (Stuttgart)

Monday, June 24:

• Croatia vs Italy (Leipzig)

• Albania vs Spain (Dusseldorf)

Tuesday, June 25

• Netherlands vs Austria (Berlin)

• France vs Poland/Wales/Finland/Estonia (Dortmund)

• England vs Slovenia (Cologne)

• Denmark vs Serbia (Munich)

Wednesday, June 26:

• Czech Republic vs Turkey (Hamburg)

• Georgia/Greece/Kazakhstan/Luxembourg vs Portugal (Gelsenkirchen)

• Slovakia vs Romania (Frankfurt)

• Israel/Bosnia & Herzegovina/Ukraine/Iceland vs Belgium (Stuttgart)

UEFA Euro 2024 Knockouts Fixtures:

Round of 16:

Saturday, June 29:

• 37 1A vs 2C (Dortmund)

• 38 2A vs 2B (Berlin)

Sunday, June 30:

• 39 1B vs 3A/D/E/F (Cologne)

• 40 1C vs 3D/E/F (Gelsenkirchen)

Monday, July 1:

• 41 1F vs 3A/B/C (Frankfurt)

• 42 2D vs 2E (Düsseldorf)

Tuesday, July 2:

• 43 1E vs 3A/B/C/D (Munich)

• 44 1D vs 2F (Leipzig)

Quarter-Finals:

Friday, July 5:

• 45 W39 vs W37 (Stuttgart)

• 46 W41 vs W42 (Hamburg)

Saturday, July 6:

• 47 W43 vs W44 (Berlin)

• 48 W40 vs W38 (Dusseldorf)

The Semi-Finals:

Tuesday, July 9:

49 W45 vs W46 (Munich)

Wednesday, July 10:

50 W47 vs W48 (Dortmund)

The Final:

Sunday, July 14:

W49 vs W50 (Berlin)

Also Read: 'It was never a debate': Jamie Carragher's shocking Messi vs Ronaldo statement

How can fans book their tickets?

Ticket applications for the UEFA Euro 2024 opened on October 3 through the tournament's official website. The initial window closed on October 26. There will be other opportunities to buy tickets as teams confirm their places at the tournament, including through the play-offs next year. There will also be a resale platform that opens in Spring 2024.

More than 80 percent of the 2.7m tickets available will be for the fans of the participating teams and the general public. Group-stage prices range from €30 (£26/ 2,719.38 Rs.) to €200 (£174), increasing in price with each round. Tickets for the final range from €95 (£83/ 8,611.38 Rs.) to €1,000 (£870).

UEFA Euro 2024: Format

The format will be the same as for the last time around. The top two teams from each of the six final tournament groups will proceed to the round of 16 along with the four best third-placed finishers.