Belgium
The Red Devils
Manager
The Story
Belgium arrive at a 2026 World Cup that feels like the final chapter of an era rather than the start of a new one. The golden generation tag has long expired, but the Red Devils are not in freefall either. Rudi Garcia, the French coach who replaced Domenico Tedesco in January 2025, has steadied the ship and installed a clear 4-2-3-1 that actually suits the players available. They topped UEFA Group J without losing a game, going P8 W5 D3 L0 with 29 goals scored and just seven conceded. That included a 7-0 demolition of Liechtenstein and back-to-back 6-0 wins over Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein in September 2025. The qualifying form looks impressive on paper, though the company was modest. Group G is a different proposition: Belgium are favourites against Egypt, Iran and New Zealand, but that favourites tag comes with expectations this squad has repeatedly failed to meet. The crash out at Qatar 2022 still stings. Euro 2024 was mediocre. Garcia's side went to the March 2026 window and thrashed the United States 5-2, then immediately drew 0-0 with Mexico, which is pretty much the Belgium experience in a single window. Kevin De Bruyne is the heartbeat, operating from the 10 role at Napoli and arriving fit. Thibaut Courtois is back between the sticks after injury disruptions. Romelu Lukaku – Belgium's record scorer with 90 international goals – is a genuine fitness gamble after barely an hour of competitive football for Napoli this season. Garcia has the experience to manage a squad with a crumbling veteran core, but Belgium need De Bruyne to stay fit and Lukaku to find his legs quickly. The group is winnable. What happens after it is another matter entirely.
Garcia's 4-2-3-1 gives De Bruyne the licence to dictate from the 10 role, with Tielemans and Onana forming a double pivot that covers enormous defensive ground and allows the attack to press high. Jérémy Doku at wide forward is the most direct one-on-one threat in the squad, capable of punishing any full-back in Group G with his pace and dribbling. Thibaut Courtois, when right, remains one of the world's best goalkeepers and can single-handedly win points in tight knockout moments.
Lukaku's match fitness is the biggest question hanging over the entire tournament campaign. He played barely an hour of competitive football for Napoli this season; if he breaks down early, Belgium's attack loses its focal point with no natural replacement of similar quality. The qualification group was so weak – Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia and Wales – that form data against those sides tells us almost nothing about how this team will perform against genuine opposition.
Key Players
Kevin De Bruyne
Napoli · age 34
De Bruyne heads to North America at 34, fresh from his injury comeback at Napoli and slotting into the number 10 role under Garcia. His delivery over distance, relentless movement between lines, and capacity to slow or accelerate a match from central areas put him in a category of his own within this squad. Belgium's ceiling in this tournament is directly tied to how many minutes he gets and how often he looks like himself.
Romelu Lukaku
Napoli · age 33
Belgium's all-time record scorer with 90 international goals sits at the centre of Garcia's biggest gamble. A hamstring injury at Napoli limited him to barely an hour of competitive football this season. Garcia trusted his tournament pedigree, and Lukaku did score in a warm-up to show sharpness. The match fitness question is real. When he is right, his physicality and link play make Belgium a fundamentally different team to face.
Amadou Onana
Aston Villa · age 23
Onana is the best player in this squad that casual observers still underestimate. At 23, the Aston Villa midfielder wins aerial duels, breaks up counter-attacks, covers ground relentlessly and produces a quality of forward passing from deep that most defensive midfielders cannot dream of. He makes Tielemans look comfortable and gives De Bruyne a layer of protection. Belgium's defensive midfield performances of the past year run squarely through him.
Thibaut Courtois
Real Madrid · age 34
A Champions League winner with Real Madrid and one of the best shot-stoppers in world football when fit and confident. Courtois returns as Belgium's undisputed first choice after injury disruptions. In tight knockout games, his ability to save penalties and produce big moments from set pieces gives Belgium an advantage most Group G opponents simply cannot match. The form he showed at the 2018 World Cup – where he was the tournament's best goalkeeper – remains the benchmark.
Jérémy Doku
Manchester City · age 22
Doku spent the Premier League season tormenting full-backs with pure pace and directness at Manchester City. At 22, he is Belgium's most explosive wide threat and the player Garcia wants in behind when tired legs are on show in the final 20 minutes. He can operate on either flank and his dribble success rate makes him a genuine handful to contain in transition. Iran and New Zealand in particular have no answer to his pace.
Warm-Up Matches
- v Croatia2026-06-02 · BrusselsW2-0
- Scheduledv Tunisia2026-06-06 · Brussels
Recent Form
Tournament Prediction
Belgium will win Group G without too much drama. Egypt, Iran and New Zealand lack the quality to seriously test a side with Courtois in goal, De Bruyne pulling strings and Doku on the flank. The concern is what comes next. In the Round of 16, Belgium will most likely face a runner-up from Group H or another mid-tier side – and that is precisely the scenario where this squad's inconsistency has burned them before. Qatar 2022 proved the golden generation could implode against teams they were supposed to beat. Garcia has improved the structure and the energy of the 4-2-3-1 is better than what Tedesco delivered, but Lukaku's fitness is a live hand grenade. If he breaks down in the group stage, Belgium's attack becomes one-dimensional. De Bruyne at 34 cannot carry an entire knockout run. This is a squad built for a quarter-final run at its absolute best, but a Round of 16 exit looks the more honest call given the track record.
Betting Markets
Belgium to reach the Round of 16.
Confidence: High