Zlatan’s verdict on Garcia, the Red Devils’ long flight home

The A330’s engines hummed to life at Los Angeles International Airport, its destination Brussels Airport. Ahead of the 11-hour flight, the Belgian national team prepared to leave the United States, their World Cup dream extinguished by Spain in the quarter-finals. Lamine Yamal, the teenage striker, had already drawn lines in the sand. Hours before kick-off, he warned France that Spain would not be the team to stop La Roja’s march to a third consecutive final. “No team has managed to compete with us,” Yamal told TVE. “Everyone falls short against us. If any team must fear us in this tournament, it is them.” Zlatan Ibrahimovic, ’ outspoken consultant, reserved his sharpest barbs for Rudi Garcia. “I place full responsibility for this defeat on the Belgian head coach,” the Swede declared. “His decision cost his team the match.” Ibrahimovic was referring to the substitution of Thibaut Courtois, who insisted after the game that he could have continued but was asked to leave the pitch. Courtois’ removal brought Senne Lammens into the Belgian goal, and the Strasbourg goalkeeper’s error allowed Spain’s late winner from Oihan Merino. “How can you take Courtois off and bring in Lammens, while Penders sits on the bench?” Courtois asked. “Is it because Lammens plays for Manchester United and Penders for Strasbourg? You don’t choose your national team’s goalkeeper like that.”

Belgian midfielder draws interest from England, Italy and Spain

The Red Devils’ plane touched down in Brussels on Sunday morning at 10 a.m., marking the end of their World Cup journey. The squad dispersed to their clubs, many resuming action in the Nations League from 25 September. Belgium’s Golden Generation may be fading, but Ibrahimovic and others believe the current group showed enough to avoid becoming Europe’s underachievers. Rudi Garcia, the French head coach, refused to shift blame after the 2-1 defeat. “The Belgian team gave the European champions a real game,” he said. “We must not point fingers at the players.” The team’s emotional farewell included embraces with family and friends in the stands, a moment captured as the final whistle blew.

Courtois’ tears and Cucurella’s grit: contrasting World Cup nights at Madrid

Youri Tielemans, speaking after the match, highlighted his own misfortune: a pre-match warm-up injury that ruled him out against Spain. “I couldn’t play,” he said. “It’s tough to watch from the stands.” The midfielder’s absence underscored the thin margins that separated Belgium from a semi-final return. Spain’s late winner, scored by Merino, sealed Belgium’s fate. The defeat in the quarter-finals ended a campaign that promised so much but delivered only heartbreak. Now, the focus shifts to rebuilding and the next chapter under Garcia, whose future remains a subject of debate among fans and pundits alike.