'Maybe it's because of the name' - De Bruyne questions bizarre player of the match award in underwhelming Belgium win over Canada

• Belgium won 1-0 in tight affair
• De Bruyne named game's best player
• Star confused by the award

WHAT HAPPENED? De Bruyne was given the official award for the best player on the field in a 1-0 victory for his side against Canada, but he does not understand why the title was bestowed on him because he feels his performance was underwhelming.

WHAT THEY SAID: "I don't think I played a great game. I don't know why I have got the trophy," he told reporters. "Maybe it's because of the name. Credit to Canada."

He added of his team's display: "It wasn't good enough, but we know what to change. The precision was lacking, also with me. There was fighting spirit, that is a minimum requirement. A first match like this at a major tournament is always special. I was not stressed, but I can only speak for myself. We made it difficult for ourselves and that caused stress in the team."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Michy Batshuayi's goal was enough to secure the win for the Red Devils but Canada will feel unlucky after missing one penalty and having claims for another turned down by the referee. Belgium are top of Group F with three points while Morocco and Croatia have one point each.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR BELGIUM? De Bruyne and his team-mates will look to put in a much better performance when they take on Morocco in their second game on Sunday.