Belgium compete in Group Seven of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Record:
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Third place at Russia 2018
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Euro runners-up in 1980
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FIFA ranking: 9
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Last World Cup appearance: 2022
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Nickname: Red Devils
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Top clubs: Club Brugge, Standard Liège, Anderlecht
Qualification: After a tense pursuit from Wales right up to the final qualifying round, Belgium crushed Liechtenstein 7–0 to seal their place comfortably — a fourth consecutive World Cup appearance, following absences in 2006 and 2010.
Coach: After a long club career that took him notably to Lille, Roma, Marseille, and Lyon, Frenchman Rudi Garcia began his first national team assignment when he took charge of Belgium in January 2025. Under the former Lille and Cannes midfielder, Belgium negotiated a tricky Nations League play-off against Ukraine with difficulty — losing 1–3 away before winning 3–0 at home, with Romelu Lukaku scoring twice — before going on to qualify directly for the World Cup.
Star player: Several survivors from the golden 2018 generation (World Cup semi-finalists) are still present — goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois continues to excel at Real Madrid, defender Thomas Meunier is at Lille, and Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku play together at Napoli. But the face of Belgium's renewal today is Jérémy Doku. The winger, with his dizzying dribbling, has taken on a new dimension this season at Manchester City and is expected to carry a greater attacking burden, particularly given Lukaku's decline following an injury-plagued season at Napoli.
Ambitions: After the disappointment of 2022 — when Belgium went out in the group stage — and a round-of-16 exit at Euro 2024, the Red Devils' priority above all is to avoid another collapse, without letting that dampen dreams of something better, with a balanced squad mixing experience and new talent such as Lille's Mathias Fernández-Pardo. "The ambition is unlimited and we all dream of going as far as possible," said Rudi Garcia, clarifying that his goal is to "finish the group stage in first place." He added: "We are not the favourites, but I prefer being the underdog — it doesn't prevent ambition."