Whistles over the Marseillaise during the France‑Belgium duel

Under the lights of the Belgian stadium, the two teams are about to sing their national anthems when, at the first chord of La Marseillaise, whistles sound, interrupting the solemn moment. The crowd, torn between excitement and bewilderment, watches the scene that will become one of the main sour notes of the evening.

The French team won the duel against Belgium 0‑1, thanks to a fine winning goal signed by Michael Olise. The performance was judged convincing and attractive.

However, the whistles on La Marseillaise at the anthem moment sparked a lot of talk, on both sides of the Quiévrain. This scene was described as a major sour note of the evening.

Hearing boos at a national anthem during a match between two national teams is unfortunately not a rare occurrence. A similar incident occurred in Turkey, during the French team's first match in this Nations League.

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Supporters call for respect

The main group of French supporters thus called for good behaviour during the two upcoming matches at the Stade de France. “On the occasion of France – Italy on Friday and France – Belgium on Monday, we wish to remind the importance of respecting national anthems,” wrote the “IF” on their social media.

“Whistles during the opponent’s anthem seem unfortunately to be becoming commonplace in the stands. This must not become a habit!” added the tricolour supporters, emphasizing mutual respect.

Hoping that this message is heard and applied by as many as possible, the French wish that the rivalry stays on the pitch, respect above all.