Kevin de Bruyne’s international future hangs in the balance after he declared to ‘quit’, criticizing Belgium’s tactics, while talking to technical director Frank Vercauteren after their 0-2 loss to France in the UEFA Nations League on Tuesday.

The Manchester City stalwart, 33, was filmed in a conversation with Vercauteren pitchside after the defeat to France, where he disposed his emotions and was heard saying, “I quit. I quit” agitatedly.

De Bruyne, who has won 107 caps for his national team, further expressed his sentiments in the post-match interview at Parc Olympique Lyonnais and insisted that his side was no longer good enough in the race to become the best.

“I cannot repeat that in the media but it has to be better in every way,” he said to Belgian broadcaster VTM. “If the standard we want to reach is the best, but we’re no longer good enough to get to that level, then you have to give everything.

“If you don’t even do that, it’s over.  If you stay with six at the back, there is no connection,” he added. “It is what it is. It is not about transition, but about people who do not perform their tasks.”

The talismanic midfielder was an integral part of the Belgium squad that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals in his 14-year-long career.

His Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco played down his comments and said that his frustration was understood.

“He is our captain and has a huge winning mentality, so he can also react emotionally,” said Tedesco, whose team was defeated by goals from Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembele.

“It’s normal that we’re disappointed. We had things under control but we have to score. We had three chances, one of them a clear chance at goal, but this is a problem that we’ve carried on for a long time.”