A game that lacked quality and excitement for large periods seemed destined for extra time, but a shot by substitute Randal Kolo Muani deflected off Jan Vertonghen with five minutes remaining to seal France’s victory at Dusseldorf Arena.
France had missed several chances before that as their lack of a cutting edge let them down, with even captain Kylian Mbappe putting efforts he would normally finish wide.
Belgium could have taken the lead before France’s late goal, as Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne charged through the middle, but his shot was pushed behind by Mike Maignan.
That was the below-par Belgians’ only decent opportunity, as France closed out the final few minutes to progress to the last eight, where they will face either Portugal or Slovenia.
France through but still need to improve
Didier Deschamps’ side were deserved winners, but this will be more of a relief than anything for the 2018 world champions as they once again struggled to turn chances into goals.
They dominated play for large periods, but managed only a single shot on target in the first half when Antoine Griezmann’s low strike from distance was comfortably saved.
Despite having one of the world’s best forwards in Kylian Mbappe, even he found it difficult when faced with shooting opportunities, notably curling over in the second half after creating space for himself.
In the end, they finished with 19 shots on goal but just two on target, still waiting for their first goal from open play in Germany.
In a theme familiar to several of the bigger sides left in Euro 2024, France are struggling to play at their full potential, but for now, they will celebrate being one step closer to the final.
What next for Belgium’s 'golden generation'?
Belgium were booed off the pitch by some fans after managing only a draw against Ukraine in their final group game. However, before this match, there was hope among their supporters that they would elevate their performance against the French.
Unfortunately, they were once again too cautious for long periods, with their threatening moments being all too brief.
They should have made France pay for their profligacy with De Bruyne’s late effort, while Romelu Lukaku, who exits Euro 2024 without scoring a goal, also saw a low shot pushed away in the second half.
Like Croatia, this felt like one final throw of the dice for Belgium’s ‘golden generation,’ with players like De Bruyne and Lukaku now in their 30s.
And, like Croatia, they exit the tournament wondering if this was ultimately a missed opportunity for what could have been with this talented group of players.
