Romelu Lukaku became the “scapegoat” in Belgium’s shocking defeat on the opening day of Euro 2024.

The Belgian national team, led by coach Domenico Tedesco, suffered a 0-1 loss to Slovakia in their Group E opener. Despite being ranked 45 places higher than their opponents in the FIFA rankings, this result can be considered the biggest upset of the tournament so far.

Lukaku, entrusted to lead Belgium’s attack, was one of the most talked-about individuals after the match. The 31-year-old striker failed to fully deliver, missing as many as three clear-cut chances and being unable to find the net even with only the opposing goalkeeper to beat.

In fact, Lukaku nearly “redeemed himself” by scoring twice for Belgium, but both goals were disallowed by VAR and the referee. In the 56th minute, his goal was ruled out for offside, while in the 86th minute, his strike was disallowed due to a handball by teammate Lois Openda in the build-up.

According to the statistics, Lukaku became the first player to miss three “big chances” in a single match at a European Championship since Euro 2000. He also became the first player to have two goals disallowed by VAR in a major European tournament.