Belgium-Sweden qualifier won't be replayed after teams agree to 1-1 result
The Belgium-Sweden Euro 2024 qualifier that was halted following the fatal shooting of two Swedish fans will not be replayed and the points will be shared, UEFA announced Thursday.
As per the wishes of the two countries' FAs, the 1-1 result at half-time, when the match was stopped, has been "confirmed as final" and "each team is awarded one point with the Group F standings to be updated", said UEFA.
On Monday, two Swedish supporters were killed near Brussels city centre in a suspected Islamist gun attack.
The encounter went ahead as scheduled that evening before being abandoned at the request of the two teams at half-time with the score 1-1.
The travelling Sweden fans were kept in the King Baudouin Stadium before being escorted by the police to their hotels at 2 am local time.
The suspected attacker, a 45-year-old Tunisian national living illegally in Belgium, was fatally shot in a police operation on Tuesday.
"We are pleased to hear that UEFA has come to a decision and that the decision is in line with what both federations wished for. However, sporting matters are secondary, our thoughts are with the victims and their families," said the Belgian FA in a statement.
On Tuesday, FIFA president Gianni Infantino took to Instagram to say that he was "shocked" and "saddened" by the shootings.