In the 85th minute, Vertonghen blocked Randal Kolo Muani’s shot, inadvertently causing the ball to deflect into Belgium’s own goal. While Muani’s teammates rushed to celebrate with him, Mbappe turned towards Vertonghen and raised his arms in celebration. However, at that precise moment, the 37-year-old center-back turned away and missed seeing the French captain’s gesture.

Mbappe’s actions did not escape the eyes of Swedish referee Glenn Nyberg. He reminded Mbappe about that attitude, but did not show the 26-year-old striker a yellow card.

Mbappe’s actions stemmed from a clash in the Belgian penalty area in the 71st minute, where he and Vertonghen collided. Following the incident, the two players exchanged heated words and nearly came to blows before the referee intervened. Shortly thereafter, Vertonghen received a yellow card, although it was for a foul committed on Muani.

Euro 2024 marks Mbappe’s debut as captain of the French national team, succeeding Hugo Lloris from the 2022 World Cup.

The young striker, now with Real Madrid, has had a challenging tournament in Germany, managing only one goal from a penalty. In the match against Belgium, Mbappe attempted five shots, all of which sailed over the crossbar.

Meanwhile, Vertonghen has been a stalwart for Belgium since 2007, amassing 156 appearances and scoring 10 goals—a record for the national team in terms of appearances. The 37-year-old defender visibly showed disappointment after inadvertently scoring an own goal, despite the unfortunate circumstances.

Following the match, Vertonghen and Mbappe exchanged handshakes, with Belgium bowing out and France advancing to the quarter-finals.