Belgium won 1-0 in the Group F match against Canada in the first round of the World Cup Qatar tournament, earning 3 points.
[Click here for details] Belgium 1-0 Canada
Belgium, who are ranked 2nd in the world rankings for their 14th appearance in three consecutive tournaments, beat Japan in the first round of the knockout rounds at the previous tournament in Russia and finished in 3rd place, their highest ever.
On the 23rd, in the first match of the first league held at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan on the outskirts of Doha, they played Canada, ranked 41st in the world, for the first time in nine tournaments.
Belgium was pushed by the momentum of Canada, who were aiming for their first World Cup victory, from the beginning of the match.
In this pinch, goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois read the shooting course well and did not allow a goal with a good save.
Belgium continued to struggle after that, but just before the end of the first half, Michy Batshuayi kicked in a long pass that went behind the defense of the opponents to score the opening goal.
In the second half, Canada faced many attacks, but Belgium's solid defense led by the guardian deity Courtois led to a 1-0 victory over Canada, giving them three points.
On the other hand, Canada repeatedly approached Belgium's goal and shot more than 20 shots, but failed to score in crucial situations and lost.
Yoshimi Yamashita serves as the fourth referee
Japan's Yoshimi Yamashita, who was selected as a female referee for this tournament, acted as the fourth referee, assisting the referee in making decisions.
Yamashita acted as her fourth referee by holding up a sign with her uniform number when she made substitutions and announcing the injury time to the venue.
According to FIFA, the International Football Federation, three women, including Ms. Yamashita from Japan, have been selected as referees for the referee for the first time.
[Click here for details] Yoshimi Yamashita, the first ever female referee at the Men's World Cup