William Saliba from France challenges Romelu Lukaku and Belgium to a competition.

William Saliba has issued a bold statement ahead of France’s Euro 2024 round-of-16 clash against Belgium, declaring that Les Bleus are “not afraid of anyone”. The 23-year-old defender is eagerly anticipating the challenge of facing Romelu Lukaku at the Dusseldorf Arena on Monday.

In his press conference, Saliba acknowledged the difficulty of playing against Lukaku, stating, “I don’t think many defenders enjoy playing against Romelu Lukaku, but we have no choice and that’s the way it is.” However, he also expressed his excitement at the opportunity to test himself against one of the best strikers in the game.

Saliba emphasized the importance of concentration and maintaining the right distance when defending against a player of Lukaku’s caliber. He acknowledged Lukaku’s strength and cautioned against getting too close to him.

Lukaku has struggled to find the back of the net in the tournament so far, with Belgium finishing second in Group E. Their lackluster performances have drawn criticism, and even though they secured qualification with a 0-0 draw against Ukraine, boos and whistles rained down on The Red Devils.

Despite Belgium’s underwhelming group stage displays, Saliba is not underestimating their potential. He warned against judging them solely based on their previous matches, stating, “Yes, of course, they didn’t play their best football during the group stages, but it would be a trap to base your opinion on these group matches because we know that this is a new competition that’s about to start.”

Saliba acknowledged the rivalry between Belgium and France, describing their encounters as always being a “shock”. He recognized Belgium’s strength as a team and the presence of several talented players. Saliba made it clear that France would not underestimate their opponents and that the match would not be easy.

Confident in their abilities, Saliba declared, “We’re not afraid of Belgium either. We’re not afraid of anyone. If they’re not afraid of us, good for them. We’ll see on Monday and we’ll do everything we can to win.”

The highly anticipated clash between Belgium and France will take place at the Dusseldorf Arena on Monday, July 1. The winners will face either Portugal or Slovenia in the quarter-finals.