Both countries had already agreed that the European Championship qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden, which was halted for horrific reasons, did not need to be resumed. From a sporting perspective, this also seems to be no longer an issue for the Belgians.
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The Belgium - Sweden match was halted at halftime on Monday after it was reported that two Swedish football fans had been killed in a shooting. Both countries quickly agreed that the game should not continue, and a day later it became clear that neither Sweden nor Belgium felt the need to finish the match.
In doing so, Belgium put aside sporting interests. In Group F of the European Championship qualifiers, both Belgium and Austria are already guaranteed a spot in the European Championship. The only thing Belgium was competing for against Sweden was the status of group leader in the European Championship in Germany. For this, it's important for Belgium to collect as many points as possible. Belgium's gesture to let the 1-1 halftime score stand as the final result, recognizing that some things are more important than football, was a commendable move.
It has now become clear that it's also not a significant problem for Belgium if the match against Sweden is indeed recorded as a draw. On Tuesday evening, Hungary drew 2-2 with Lithuania, making it very likely that Belgium will be the group leader in the European Championship regardless of the final result of Belgium - Sweden.
For the draw, UEFA divides European countries into pots based on their performances during the European Championship qualification period. Germany, as the host country, is guaranteed a spot in Pot 1, meaning the other countries are competing for five places in the top pot. Even without the point against Sweden, Belgium still ranks third in the overall ranking of the European Championship qualifiers. A win in the upcoming international break against Azerbaijan is enough to become the group leader, irrespective of the final result against Sweden.
UEFA will most likely make a decision on the outcome of Belgium - Sweden this Friday. The 1-1 halftime score might be taken as the final result, but a regulatory victory for Belgium is also one of the options that UEFA can employ. The Belgian Football Association has already made it clear that they will not request this from the European federation.
Updated: 03:37, 19 Oct 2023
