The great and good of the Brussels bubble has gathered tonight to watch the France-Spain match in a cavernous art gallery rented out by the French embassy.
Ostensibly to mark the country’s Bastille Day, the reception quickly became a watch party for the semifinal, with peoples loading up plates of cheese, bread and canapés.
Attendees include France’s EU Ambassador Philippe Léglise-Costa, the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas and Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, sweltering in the heat of the un-air-conditioned building.
But the mood quickly turned from one of jubilation to worry and even despondency after Spain scored its opener. A palpable gasp went up, first from one side of the hall and then the other, thanks to the slight delay between the two projectors.
A second Spanish goal after half time sets this up to be a potentially bitter end to a day of patriotism.
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