‘To be favourites or not doesn’t matter’: Belgium braced for Senegal challenge

Rudi Garcia railed against criticism of his side, who face Senegal in the last 32 with a spring in their step after the 5-1 hammering of New Zealand

Belgium had just beaten New Zealand 5-1 to secure top spot in Group G and, at least in theory, an easier last-32 draw, but Rudi Garcia was evidently irked. In response to the first question in a curt post-match press conference, he adjusted the microphone to ensure his point was heard.

“I really didn’t appreciate them being called has beens,” he said alluding to an article in La Libre, a French-language Belgian newspaper, that compared Kevin De Bruyne with a washed-up Hollywood actor after a flat display against Iran in their previous match in Los Angeles.

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