Belgium's World Cup Preview: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Key Players

This article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June.

The plan

The head coach, Rudi Garcia, is well aware that the Red Devils’ strength lies in attack. Kevin De Bruyne, Jérémy Doku and Romelu Lukaku can each make a difference in their own way. The defence is, except for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, the weak point after the golden generation of Toby Alderweireld, Vincent Kompany, Thomas Vermaelen and Jan Vertonghen gradually retired. “That is why I will always choose four defenders and not five,” Garcia explains. “With five defenders I have to sacrifice an attacking player and that would be a shame.”

Garcia usually opts for a medium block to support the attack and not put too much pressure on the defenders. His reasoning could be described as flawed because there is a problem with Lukaku. He played only 64 minutes for Napoli this season and none for the national team because of injuries until coming off the bench in Tuesday night’s 2-0 win against Croatia, scoring the second goal in added time. He was also deeply affected by the death of his father. Belgium’s all time top scorer – 90 goals – will therefore start the World Cup without any kind of match rhythm.

Qualifying went smoothly against Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein. Despite going undefeated, the level of play was not high and there were three draws, two against North Macedonia and one in Kazakhstan. With 29 goals in eight games, Belgium underlined where their strengths lay. It’s clear there will be plenty of attention on Doku in attack and Courtois to prevent goals at the other end.

Garcia has been in charge since January 2025 and said at his unveiling: “I am ready to take on the challenge. It will take time to learn, even though we don’t have much of it. It’s not about trying, it’s about doing, that’s my motto.” Hard work is key, according to the Frenchman. “We must focus on the mindset. We must wear the jersey with pride, and give everything for the national team.”

The coach

Rudi Garcia is a national coach for the first time in his career and so will be making his World Cup debut in North America. The 62-year-old succeeded Domenico Tedesco in January 2025 and has plenty of experience, having been in charge at Lille, Roma, Marseille, Lyon, Al Nassr and Napoli among others. The Frenchman is old school, rejecting data-led analysis, and has restored a positive atmosphere to the national squad. “What matters to me is that there is a team on the field,” he says. “My experience shows that you get the furthest that way.”

Star player

Jérémy Doku is the most popular player in the squad. The 24-year-old Manchester City attacker is still making giant steps in his development. Having relied solely on his impressive speed, he has developed his crossing ability of late and scored some important goals in the closing stages of the Premier League season. “I know my qualities and know that I have to work on my statistics,” he said. “But I’m not there yet.”

One to watch

Matias Fernandez-Pardo was not in Garcia’s plans until early May. The 21-year-old Lille striker, who holds Spanish and Belgian passports, had declared he would choose Spain. When the Belgian FA sounded him out again due to the doubts surrounding Lukaku and the decline of Loïs Openda at Juventus, he changed his mind. His speed, dribbling skills and opportunism have earned him a slot in the World Cup squad. Fernandez-Pardo left Gent in August 2024 as a winger, but the Lille coach Bruno Génésio has deployed him as a striker, leading to eight goals and five assists in 29 league games in 2025-26.

Unsung hero

Maxim De Cuyper the 25-year-old Brighton left-back, is of great value to the Red Devils with his attacking contributions and, in the absence of Lukaku, has developed into a regular goalscorer for the national team. Under Garcia, he has started every match when fit. He will likely retain that status during the World Cup despite his status as a substitute all too often at Brighton.

Probable starting XI

What to expect from fans at games?

Belgian fans love having fun and a few beers before entering the stadium. However, there are not many chants because Dutch, French and a little German are spoken in Belgium, the linguistic mix making it difficult to coordinate the songs. As a compromise, they simply sing in English, if there is any singing at all.

Relationship with the US/Trump?

Just as in most other EU countries, there is scepticism about Donald Trump, and certainly about his manner of expression. He once called Molenbeek, a suburb of Brussels, a “hellhole,” and that did not go down well. The Belgian FA is unlikely to say anything publicly and while fans have complained about high prices there has not been any talk of a boycott.