European Championship - Qualifying Group F
BelgiumBelgium19:45SwedenSweden
Match abandoned - Other

Belgium v Sweden: Euro 2024 qualifier abandoned after Brussels shooting

Sweden fans
Fans of both teams were instructed by Belgian police to stay inside the stadium for their own safety - with an evacuation starting about 75 minutes after the abandonment was confirmed

Belgium's Euro 2024 qualifier against Sweden was abandoned at half-time for security reasons after two Swedish people were shot dead in Brussels.

The killings happened in the city hours before the game and are being treated as terrorism.

The decision to abandon the game was confirmed at about 21:30 BST.

With the gunman still at large, fans and players were ordered to stay in the King Baudouin Stadium for their safety.

An evacuation of the stadium began at about 22:45.

The Sweden team were given a police escort to the airport, while Sweden fans were accompanied by the police into the city.

On Tuesday police in Brussels shot the attacker dead.

Sweden manager Janne Andersson said he and the players only found out about Monday's shooting at half-time.

"When I came down for the break, I got this information. Immediately, I felt that it was completely unreal. What kind of world do we live in today?" he said.

"I came into the locker room and when the team started talking, we agreed 100% that we didn't want to play on out of respect for the victims and their families."

It is not yet known whether the victims were in Brussels to watch the match.

Fans leaving the stadium
Fans were told to return home immediately after leaving the stadium

A Swedish FA social media post said: "Our thoughts go out to all the relatives of those affected in Brussels."

The Belgium team's account posted a statement that read: "Our thoughts are with all those affected."

A video posted on social media showed an Arabic-speaking man claiming he carried out the attack in the name of God.

Following the shooting on Boulevard d'Ypres, which happened at about 18:00 BST (19:00 local time), police and emergency services cordoned off nearby roads.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo "offered my sincere condolences to the Swedish PM following tonight's harrowing attack on Swedish citizens in Brussels".

He added: "Our thoughts are with the families and friends who lost their loved ones. As close partners the fight against terrorism is a joint one."

The game was 1-1 when it was abandoned.

Sweden captain Victor Lindelof said: "Belgium are already qualified and we don't have the opportunity to get to the European Championship, so I see no reason to [replay the game]."

Scores, Results & Fixtures

Monday 16th October 2023

As It Stood

A

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Spain65011931615
2Scotland6501123915
3Norway7313119210
4Georgia6213913-47
5Cyprus7007225-230

B

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1France66001311218
2Netherlands6402107312
3Greece7403126612
4Republic of Ireland72059906
5Gibraltar6006021-210

C

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1England54101621413
2Italy5311104610
3Ukraine631287110
4North Macedonia6213714-77
5Malta6006115-140

D

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Turkey7511136716
2Wales631288010
3Croatia6312104610
4Armenia621389-17
5Latvia7106517-123

E

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Albania6411113813
2Czech Rep632185311
3Poland731399010
4Moldova62316609
5Faroe Islands7016213-111

F

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Belgium65101631316
2Austria7511157816
3Sweden520311836
4Azerbaijan6114412-84
5Estonia6015218-161

G

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Hungary541092713
2Serbia6312106410
3Montenegro52215508
4Lithuania6123610-45
5Bulgaria6024310-72

H

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Slovenia75111661016
2Denmark7511156916
3Finland7403117412
4Kazakhstan7403108212
5Northern Ireland720578-16
6San Marino7007024-240

I

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Romania8440134916
2Switzerland74302081215
3Israel632177011
4Kosovo71428807
5Belarus8134714-76
6Andorra8026317-142

J

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Portugal88003223024
2Slovakia8512115616
3Luxembourg8323818-1011
4Iceland83141510510
5Bos-Herze8305714-79
6Liechtenstein8008125-240
View full European Championship tables