Colours: Red shirt, black shorts, black socks
Nickname: The Red Devils
World ranking: 9
Ones to watch: Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City)
Coach: Rudi Garcia
Captain: Youri Tielemans
Previous meetings: This will be the first time the two nations have played each other.
Fun fact: Belgium are the only national team to top the Fifa rankings without having won a World Cup or continental trophy.
World Cup schedule
Belgium v Egypt, June 16, 7am, Lumen Field, Seattle
Belgium v Iran, June 22, 7am, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
Belgium v New Zealand, June 27, 3pm, BC Place, Vancouver
Belgium’s home and alternative strips for the 2026 Fifa World Cup. Photos / Adidas
Belgium World Cup squad
Goalkeepers
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Manchester United), Mike Penders (Racing Strasbourg)
Defenders
Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting Lisbon), Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton & Hove Albion), Koni De Winter (AC Milan), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Nathan Ngoy (Lille), Joaquin Seys (Club Brugge), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Midfielders
Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Girona)
Forwards
Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Matias Fernandez-Pardo (Lille), Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Dodi Lukébakio (Benfica), Diego Moreira (Racing Strasbourg), Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal)
‘The objective is simply to finish top of the group’
“The concept of team spirit was important; we needed to stick with a squad that had performed well in the qualifiers, taking into account how the players complement each other and striking a balance between experience and youth,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia told a press conference when the squad was announced.
“This squad is built around playing well and getting on well together. We need to distinguish between our objective and our ambition. Ambition knows no bounds; we all dream of going all the way.
“The objective is simply to finish top of the group and progress from the group stage; we’ll then see who we’re drawn against in the next rounds. We’re not favourites, but I prefer this underdog position, which doesn’t stand in the way of ambition.”
Road to the World Cup
Topped their group in Uefa qualifying with five wins and three draws from their eight games with an impressive goal difference of +22.
History at the World Cup
1930: Played 2, won 0, drew 0, lost 2 – Didn’t advance to knockout round
1934: Played 1, won 0, drew 0, lost 1 – Lost in straight knockout format
1938: Played 1, won 0, drew 0, lost 1 – Lost in straight knockout format
1954: Played 2, won 0, drew 0, lost 2 – Didn’t advance to knockout round
1970: Played 3, won 1, drew 0, lost 2 – Didn’t advance to knockout round
1982: Played 5, won 2, drew 1, lost 2 – Advanced to second group phase, didn’t make knockout round
1986: Played 7, won 3, drew 1, lost 3 – Advanced to knockout stage, finished fourth
1990: Played 4, won 2, drew 0, lost 2 – Advanced to knockout stage, lost in second round
1994: Played 4, won 2, drew 0, lost 2 – Advanced to knockout stage, lost in second round
1998: Played 3, won 0, drew 3, lost 0 – Didn’t advance to knockout round
2002: Played 4, won 1, drew 2, lost 1 – Advanced to knockout stage, lost in second round
2014: Played 5, won 4, drew 1, lost 1 – Advanced to knockout stage, lost in quarter-finals
2018: Played 7, won 6, drew 0, lost 1 – Advanced to knockout stage, finished third
2022: Played 3, won 1, drew 1, lost 1 – Didn’t advance to knockout round
Best result at the World Cup
The 2-1 victory over Brazil at the 2018 World Cup booked Belgium a spot in the semi-finals for the second time where they fell to neighbours France 1-0. They then beat England 2-0 to secure third place.
Formation
4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.
Famous Belgians
Jean-Claude Van Damme, Audrey Hepburn, Herge, Eddy Merckx, Rene Magritte. A pretty eclectic mix right there.
Do we like them?
Chocolate, beer and In Bruges – what’s not to like? On the pitch, De Bruyne may be entering added time of his football career but he was a delight to watch at Manchester City.
Diplomatic communique
Bart Brichau, Egypt’s honorary consul in Auckland, told the Herald:
“Meet the Red Devils — Belgium, a small country of just 11 million people that punches well above its weight. They finished third at the 2018 World Cup, their best-ever result, beating Brazil along the way. Their squad boasts elite midfield creativity, led by Kevin De Bruyne’s vision and Jeremy Doku’s electric pace on the wing. Romelu Lukaku – Belgium’s all-time top scorer by over 60 goals – leads the attack.
“Think of them as Europe’s version of the All Blacks: consistent, technically gifted and always dangerous. The All Whites will need their very best to cause an upset in Vancouver.”
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