Impending Blunder and Emotional Scene from the Stands: Crying Boy Revealed as Superstar's Son

Few expected Belgium's World Cup fate to hinge on their final group stage match against New Zealand. Despite being drawn into what was considered one of the tournament's weakest groups alongside Egypt and Iran, the situation has unexpectedly complicated, leaving their progression to the next round far from guaranteed. It could have been much worse, however, as Iran nearly took the lead in the first half of Sunday's game.

It appears the Southwest Asian footballers had studied Wout Weghorst's free-kick goal against Argentina in the previous championship, as they executed a similar set-piece on Sunday. Captain Ehsan Hasafi played the ball low to Mehdi Taremi, and the Iranian striker sent it past Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Following the goal, dismay spread through the Belgian camp, both on and off the pitch. Cameras captured a crying boy being comforted by his mother. While he might have seemed like an ordinary fan, media outlets immediately recognized the mother and son.

Portals such as HLN, Sporza, and Het Nieuwsblad reported that the boy was Mason Milian De Bruyne, the 10-year-old son of Kevin De Bruyne. The woman beside him was Michèle Lacroix, the star midfielder's partner. "Mason Milian was clearly living the match with his father. He covered his eyes with his hands and couldn't bear to watch for a moment," wrote journalists from HLN.

However, the sadness lasted no longer than two minutes. After reviewing the footage, the VAR system concluded that Taremi was offside during the free-kick. The referee disallowed the goal, and the score remained 0-0, a result that held until the final whistle.

Belgium, who were eliminated in the group stage of the previous World Cup, now have two points after two matches. To continue in the tournament, they must defeat New Zealand, who sit at the bottom of the table with one point, on Saturday at 5:00 AM. In the other Group G match, leaders Egypt will face second-placed Iran.