Kevin De Bruyne was left furious with referee Rade Obrenovič during Belgium’s defeat to France after being forced off the pitch following treatment for a blow to the face.
De Bruyne furious with referee after being forced off against France
Kevin De Bruyne was involved in a heated moment with referee Rade Obrenovič during Belgium’s 1-0 defeat to France after being ordered to temporarily leave the pitch following medical treatment.
The Belgium midfielder had been hit in the face by the ball and needed attention from the medical team.
But when play was ready to continue, De Bruyne was told he could not immediately return to the action.
The decision left the Belgium star furious and led to a tense confrontation with the referee.
De Bruyne reacts angrily to referee
The incident happened during the second half of the Nations League match.
De Bruyne took a heavy blow to the face and briefly required treatment.
After receiving medical attention, he expected to return to the pitch.
However, referee Obrenovič instructed him to remain off the field.
Reports in Belgium claim De Bruyne reacted angrily, used strong language towards the referee and appeared to make physical contact with him during the argument.
The midfielder was clearly unhappy with the situation and struggled to understand why he was being prevented from immediately rejoining his teammates.
New rule caused the controversy
The reason behind the referee’s decision was a new rule introduced for the 2026/27 season.
Under the updated IFAB laws, an outfield player who receives treatment following an injury may have to remain outside the pitch for one minute after play restarts.
The rule is designed to reduce unnecessary delays and discourage players from using treatment to waste time.
Because De Bruyne had received medical attention after being hit in the face, the referee applied the new rule and made him wait before returning.
That appeared to be the main reason for the midfielder’s frustration.
De Bruyne reportedly tells referee to “f*** off”
Belgian reports claimed De Bruyne used angry language during the confrontation.
He was reported to have told the referee:
“F*** off, man.”
The exchange quickly attracted attention because De Bruyne appeared extremely frustrated by the decision.
Footage of the incident also appeared to show the midfielder making contact with the referee while protesting.
However, there has been no official suggestion that the incident was considered a serious physical attack on the official.
Did De Bruyne receive a yellow card for the incident?
De Bruyne did receive a yellow card during the match.
Match records show that the Belgium midfielder was booked in the 57th minute.
However, there is an important clarification.
There is currently no official confirmation that the yellow card was shown specifically because of his confrontation with the referee.
Some match records list the booking as being connected to a foul.
For that reason, it would be inaccurate to say that De Bruyne was definitely booked for insulting or pushing the official.
No additional UEFA punishment confirmed
The incident has also raised questions about whether De Bruyne could face further disciplinary action.
At the latest update, there has been no official announcement from UEFA confirming an additional punishment.
There is currently no confirmed suspension or separate disciplinary case against De Bruyne over the confrontation.
That could change if match officials include the incident in their report and UEFA decides it requires further review.
For now, however, no additional sanction has been announced.
De Bruyne later substituted
De Bruyne’s frustrating evening did not last much longer.
The midfielder was eventually substituted in the 63rd minute.
Belgium continued to push for the opening goal, but France remained difficult to break down.
The match appeared to be heading towards a goalless draw before Michael Olise produced the decisive moment late in the game.
Olise wins it for France
France finally broke Belgium’s resistance in the 88th minute.
Olise, who had entered the match from the bench, produced a brilliant individual move before scoring the only goal of the night.
The strike gave Zinedine Zidane’s team a dramatic 1-0 victory in Brussels.
It completed a frustrating evening for Belgium and De Bruyne.
Not only did the midfielder become involved in a heated confrontation with the referee, but his team were then denied a point by a late goal.
The new rule could create more controversy
The De Bruyne incident may also become an important example of how players react to the new treatment rule.
Footballers who genuinely suffer an injury can now find themselves temporarily leaving their team with 10 men after receiving medical attention.
That could be especially important during dangerous moments of a match when every player is needed on the pitch.
The rule is intended to improve the flow of the game and reduce time-wasting.
But De Bruyne’s reaction shows that players may still need time to adjust to how it is being applied.
A heated moment in a difficult night for Belgium
For now, the main facts remain clear.
De Bruyne was hit in the face and received treatment.
He was then ordered to stay off the pitch temporarily under the new rule.
He reacted angrily towards the referee.
And Belgium eventually lost the match 1-0.
What started as a simple injury stoppage quickly became one of the biggest talking points from Belgium’s defeat to France.
Unless UEFA decides to review the incident further, De Bruyne’s angry confrontation may remain simply a controversial moment caused by frustration with one of football’s newest rules.
