Video: Belgium’s Michy Batshuayi faces up to World Cup mockery
The striker’s moment of misfortune was seized on by Twitter users
England 0 Belgium 1
England’s 1-0 defeat to Belgium last night may have been as exciting as a wet weekend in Antwerp but Michy Batshuayi conjured up one moment of magic that both he and fans will never forget.
Batshuayi even managed to outshine Adnan Januzaj, who scored the only goal of a tedious game with a delicately crafted shot that curled its way past Jordan Pickford into the English net.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Batshuayi had a front-row seat for the strike, and as the ball bounced back out of the goal the Chelsea forward went to smash it back in by way of celebration. But bear in mind this is Batshuayi we’re talking about, and the Blues hitman hasn’t been at his sharpest of late. He missed numerous chances against Tunisia last Saturday but surely now he couldn’t fail to find the back of net?
But he did. Batshuayi somehow contrived to clatter the ball against the upright, and it rebounded off the woodwork and whacked him flush in the face.
“That sums up his luck at the moment,” chortled Ian Wright on ITV, one of millions who couldn’t stop laughing for the rest of the match.
To his credit, Batshuayi took the mockery on the chin, which may have been sore after the ball in his face.
As his teammates celebrated their win, Batshuayi logged onto his Twitter account and unsurprisingly found himself a meme. “Ahahha I knew I would be f***** the minute I come to my mentions [sic],” he wrote to his followers. “Why am I so stupid bro. Still hurts.”
He then uploaded a photograph of himself about to blast the ball into the empty England net, with the caption: “The second just before I knew I f*cked up.”
As Paddy Power tweeted: “There’s been some wonderful football, and incredible drama so far at this World Cup. Michy Batshuayi celebrating a goal by kicking the ball off the post and straight into his own face tops the f******g lot though.”
Belgium’s victory means they finish top of group G and will now face group H runners-up Japan in the round of 16 in Rostov-on-Don on Monday at 7pm. England play group H winners Colombia in Moscow at 7pm the following day.
How Twitter reacted
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Man United finally lost patience with ten Hag
Talking Point After another loss United sacked ten Hag in hopes of success in the Champion's League
By The Week UK Published
-
Who are the markets backing in the US election?
Talking Point Speculators are piling in on the Trump trade. A Harris victory would come as a surprise
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 3, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
The wit and wisdom of Sven-Göran Eriksson
In Depth The first foreign coach to manage England on football, life and death
By The Week Staff Published
-
Can England's Euros team hold their nerve?
Today's Big Question Three Lions' 'lopsided' opening win over Serbia raises more questions than it answers
By The Week UK Published
-
The England kit: a furore over the flag
Why everyone's talking about Nike's redesign of the St George's Cross on the collar of the English national team's shirt has caused controversy
By The Week UK Published
-
Lionesses will have regrets but their legacy can be ‘incredible’
feature England stars return home after heartbreaking Women’s World Cup final loss to Spain
By Mike Starling Published
-
How English women’s football could become a billion pound industry
feature Building on the success of the Lionesses won’t be easy but it is eminently possible
By The Week Staff Published
-
Lionesses dig deep after Lauren James’s ‘Beckham-esque’ red card
feature England reach the Women’s World Cup quarter-finals after a 4-2 win on penalties against Nigeria
By Mike Starling Published
-
Curse of the Lionesses: what’s causing spate of England women’s football injuries?
Under the Radar Several key players are out of the World Cup, raising concerns about hectic schedules, sub-par pitches and sexism
By Harriet Marsden Published
-
‘Captain fantastic’: Harry Kane’s most memorable England goals
feature Kane has overtaken Wayne Rooney as the Three Lions’s all-time leading goalscorer
By Mike Starling Published