Euro 2024 Social Round-Up: Key Moments From Belgium's Mbappe Jibe To Gordon's Gift

Saturday marked the beginning of the Euro 2024 knockout round after a two-day break. Alongside the first two last-16 matches in Berlin and Dortmund, there were several notable moments from the tournament. From Belgium's Kylian Mbappe mishap to Anthony Gordon's amusing gift, here are some highlights from Friday and Saturday's social media activity at Euro 2024.

France is set to face Belgium in a highly anticipated round-of-16 match on Monday. The Belgian social media team heightened tensions by posting a video featuring comedian Pablo Andres asking who would kick Mbappe's shin. Midfielder Amadou Onana responded with his own name. The video was quickly removed, and spokesperson Stefan van Loock apologised, stating it was meant to be humorous but was taken offline due to its reception.

"The video was intended to be humorous but has since been taken offline. We would like to apologise to anyone we may have offended. This concludes the matter for us," said van Loock.

Saturday was significant for England not only because of their final training session before Sunday's match against Slovakia but also due to birthdays and anniversaries. Jude Bellingham turned 20, while Eberechi Eze celebrated his 26th birthday. Additionally, it marked three years since England's memorable Euro 2020 last-16 victory over Germany, where Harry Kane scored a decisive goal.

The birthday boys! pic.twitter.com/knxrYdBZMQ

— England (@England) June 29, 2024

Buffon's Stylish Appearance

Gianluigi Buffon, Italy's legendary goalkeeper and current delegation chief, made a stylish entrance at the Olympiastadion on Friday evening. Buffon succeeded the late Gianluca Vialli last year and continues to impress with his fashion sense. Luciano Spalletti’s Armani suit had already turned heads during the group stage, but Buffon took it up a notch.

Gigi #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/eAqYrlHEAS

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 28, 2024

Anthony Gordon's Humorous Gift

England winger Anthony Gordon drew attention this week after falling off his bike during a recovery ride, resulting in a grazed chin. On Friday, he received stabilisers from the Daily Mail as a tongue-in-cheek gift. Southgate hopes this will prevent further accidents as England needs Gordon’s dynamism on the left flank.

"Anthony Gordon presented with stabilisers by @MailSport before using his bloodied hands to win a game of darts #nufc" pic.twitter.com/3lyruIOfbc

— Craig Hope (@CraigHope_DM) June 28, 2024

Food Fights Among Fans

A friendly rivalry among fans has added flavour to Euro 2024. During the group stage, supporters clashed over food in viral clips: Albanian fans snapped spaghetti in front of Italians, while French baguettes faced similar treatment before one of their matches. On Saturday, Euro 2024’s official account shared popular half-time snacks across Europe.

"A guide to what Europe’s football fans tend to eat at half-time... #EURO2024" pic.twitter.com/DeztQCdKnR

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 29, 2024

Record-Breaking Group Stage

The group stage of Euro 2024 has been hailed as one of the most entertaining since the tournament expanded in 2016. UEFA reported record attendance in fan zones and unprecedented online engagement. Between 430,000 and 440,000 people visited fan zones during the group stage. Additionally, UEFA’s social media channels saw 145 million engagements and 1.35 billion video views.

"Group stage #EURO2024" pic.twitter.com/DeztQCdKnR

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024) June 27, 2024

The excitement continues as teams advance through the knockout stages of Euro 2024. Fans can look forward to more thrilling matches and memorable moments both on and off the pitch.