Euro 2024: Brussels gripped by terror as two Swedish fans gunned down

Brussels was brought to standstill after two Swedish fans were gunned down before kickoff of the Euro 2024 qualifier between Belgium and Sweden.

The gunman is said to have begun shooting at the men as they passed through Boulevard d’Ypres just a few minutes North of the city’s famous Grand Plaza.

The killings occurred three miles away from the stadium where over 35,000 fans attended to watch the Euro 2024 qualifier.

UEFA in a statement on Monday described the incident as a “terrorist attack”

The statement from UEFA read: “Following a suspected terrorist attack in Brussels this evening, it has been decided after consultation with the two teams and the local police authorities, that the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying match between Belgium and Sweden is abandoned. Further communication will be made in due course.”

The game was level at 1-1 when a halt was called to proceedings at half time after Victor Gyokres had given the visitors the lead. Romelu Lukaku scored from the penalty spot to equalise.

Players involved in the game included Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans, Roma’s Lukaku and Manchester United’s Victor Lindelof.

Belgian broadcaster RTBF then suspended the broadcast while the Swedish fans inside the stadium were instructed to stay put for security reasons.

A post from the Swedish FA read: “Message to Swedish supporters on-site in Brussels: The Belgian police want Swedish supporters to stay in the arena for security reasons. Take part in information from officials, authorities and SvFF (Swedish Football Association) staff on site.”

The spokesperson for the Belgian anti-terror center, Laura Demullier, said top on the list for authorities “was to get the thousands of fans safely out of the King Baudouin Stadium.”

She also urged resident “to be actively vigilant and avoid any unnecessary travel.”

Shortly after the shooting, a man who claimed to be the gunman released a video on social media in which he claimed to be a member of Islamic State (IS) and a “fighter for Allah”.

He also claimed he had carried out the attack in “revenge in the name of Muslims”.