If this is Kevin De Bruyne’s last stand, Belgium have wasted it at Euro 2024

(AP)

Three days prior to Belgium’s last-16 clash with France, Kevin De Bruyne celebrated his 33rd birthday. As it was a rest day at the European Championship, he may actually have celebrated, with teammates at least.

We may be in an era where elite players enjoy longer careers, generally speaking, but there’s no way to avoid the truth of this tremendous player’s advancing years: injuries have significantly hampered him for club and country over the past couple of campaigns, to the extent of missing major finals and being unable to contribute at some very important moments, as well as needing surgery more than once.

Add into the equation a dwindling contract at club level which the player himself has acknowledged means all options are on the table - including a move to a less-than-stellar league where few have remained playing at the elite level on current evidence - and it all means that there is a high likelihood Euro 2024 might have been be De Bruyne’s final tournament in, or anywhere near, his prime. Maybe his last full stop.

Aged 35 at a World Cup? It can happen, but the chances of impact are seriously lessened, and few get to play, let alone star, at 37 in a Euros.

And Belgium have utterly wasted him here.

It’s fair to note the context, first. Belgium hadn’t been exceptional in their group games, so did need to alter something to make an impact against France. A slight formation switch-up meant a double-pivot in midfield, with De Bruyne utilised as one of those. It meant - in theory at least - they could still have an outlet with speed down the flanks and numbers in the final third for him to feed, except that never materialised.

French dominance of the ball meant a super deep Belgian line, with 25 yards and more between central midfield and anyone in attack. De Bruyne was reduced to a scurrying sweeper-up: one of the greatest playmakers of the past few years barely even seeing the halfway line, let alone crossing it.

After 45 minutes of action in Dusseldorf, De Bruyne had zero touches in France’s box.

Zero shots too, of course, but also zero dribbles attempted, zero crosses finding their mark, zero chances created and fewer total touches of the ball than Wout Faes or Amadou Onana. He did have a clearance to his name, and outside of the stats did well to nip the ball away from Marcus Thuram in the middle of the park once.

Slight problem there, of course, in that those actions don’t really appear to make the best use of the Belgian’s usual skillset.

Perhaps just as notably, it was zero chances, zero shots and one touch in the opposition box for Romelu Lukaku.

All things considered, it was a fairly perfect representation of how not to best utilise De Bruyne’s talents.

Belgium offered nothing as an attacking force and it wasn’t hard to see why. Domenico Tedesco had tried a change but it hadn’t worked, and he needed to alter once more.

It was De Bruyne who snuck away possession and played the perfect through-ball for Carrasco to streak away, denied only by a tremendous last-ditch tackle by Theo Hernandez on the hour mark, and that seemed to be the clincher for Tedesco: a minute later Lois Openda was removed, Orel Mangala on into midfield, De Bruyne pushed forward 30 yards, right alongside Lukaku in and out of possession.

Within ten minutes, Lukaku had his first strike on goal. Belgium had played higher upfield more often, De Bruyne had continued to threaten at finding spaces and almost nicked the ball off Dayot Upamecano’s boot just outside the box. With time running down, the No.7 himself had the chance to score, rifling a shot on target but seeing it saved.

But it was too little, too late. Belgium never had any momentum in the game, never mustered serious pressure. Minutes later, France were ahead. There was no time for a meaningful response from a nation who had been too safe, too defensive, for most of the game. For most of the tournament indeed, it can be argued - Belgium won just once and scored only twice.

Again they have fallen short, again they have failed to deliver. Going out to France is no shame in isolation, but the context of the match and of Euro 2024 is that they wasted an opportunity by being timid and using talents poorly.

In De Bruyne, they may just have wasted the best of them all, and for the final time.