"I don't know why I have got the trophy" - Belgium superstar says he didn't deserve Man of the Match award after 1-0 2022 FIFA World Cup win against Canada
Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne was handed the Player of the Match trophy in his country's 1-0 win against Canada at the 2022 FIFA World Cup on November 23. The Manchester City midfielder expressed his surprise at being handed the award.
The Red Devils opened their FIFA World Cup campaign with a shaky 1-0 victory over Canada. The North American side were unlucky to leave the pitch empty-handed after playing their hearts out in the game.
They ran the Belgium defence ragged in the first half and were unlucky not to be ahead in the game going into the first half. Their best opportunity fell to Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies, who failed to beat Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois from a spot kick.
Former Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi handed Belgium the lead at the stroke of half-time after bringing down a long ball and slamming it home with his left foot. The Canucks tried their best to restore parity for the rest of the contest, but Thibaut Courtois was always on hand to deny them a goal. The Real Madrid man left the stadium with a hard-earned clean sheet for his team.
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Speaking after the contest, De Bruyne claimed that he was an undeserving winner of the Player of the Match honour. He said (via GOAL):
"I don't think I played a great game. I don't know why I have got the trophy. Maybe it's because of the name. Credit to Canada."
Analyzing his team's performance, De Bruyne added:
"It wasn't good enough, but we know what to change. The precision was lacking, also with me. There was fighting spirit, that is a minimum requirement."
He continued:
A first match like this at a major tournament is always special. I was not stressed, but I can only speak for myself. We made it difficult for ourselves and that caused stress in the team."
The Manchester City midfielder played all 90 minutes of the game. He completed 23 passes, created joint-high four chances, completed four crosses, registered two shots, completed two dribbles, and won one tackle and three duels during the contest.
The Belgian No. 8, known for his passing and crossing abilities, will be hoping to guide his national side to a FIFA World Cup victory in Qatar this year. Belgium finished the 2018 edition in third place in Russia.
De Bruyne himself is in good form, scoring three goals and laying down 13 assists in 19 games for Manchester City this season.
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Belgium's next clash is against Morocco on Sunday, November 27. Their final group game will be against Croatia on December 1.
Eden Hazard names three teams better than Belgium at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Speaking to MARCA, Belgium captain Eden Hazard identified three teams who are better than the Red Devils at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
He said:
"We have a good team with good players. We have more experience than in the 2018 FIFA World Cup but I am not playing, Lukaku has had injuries... we have doubts, although not inside. I think there are better teams than us. Brazil, sure. France and Argentina too."
Brazil are placed in Group G along with Serbia, Switzerland, and Cameroon. They will begin their campaign on Thursday, November 24 against Serbia.
France, placed in Group D along with Denmark, Australia, and Tunisia, won their opening game 4-1 against the Socceroos on Tuesday, November 22.
Argentina are in Group C along with Saudi Arabia, Poland, and Mexico. They were shocked 2-1 by Saudi Arabia in their opening game on Tuesday, November 22.