Tielemans made it clear the issue did not send Belgium into panic. If anything, it appears to have hardened the group.
He said: “Para nós, isso não mudou nada além da preparação para o jogo. Ficamos muito calmos, aceitamos o nosso destino e tentamos fazer uma boa partida.”
That is a revealing admission. Big tournament ties are often decided by emotional control as much as tactical detail, and Tielemans’ version of events paints Belgium as a side that used irritation as fuel rather than distraction. The row over Balogun may have changed the conversation before kick-off, but Belgium still looked settled when it mattered.
Tielemans also reflected on how quickly that tournament run caught up with him physically. He missed the quarter-final against Spain after a late setback, and his explanation was blunt.
“No aquecimento, meu corpo simplesmente desligou por algum motivo,” he said.
That matters now because the 29-year-old is trying to reset after a season reportedly interrupted by physical problems. For a midfielder whose game is built on rhythm, tempo and authority on the ball, availability is a huge part of the story.
Now the focus shifts to Manchester United. Tielemans is training in Ireland with his new team-mates, and other reports have also framed him as one of the club’s key summer additions in midfield. If he gets minutes against Leeds United, it will offer an early glimpse of how quickly he can settle into United’s engine room.
The next storyline is straightforward: fitness, sharpness and fit. Preseason rarely settles every debate, but for Tielemans, Wednesday could be the next important step.