Belgium — World Cup 2026 Squad & Fixtures

Belgium have appeared at 14 World Cups, finishing third in 2018 for their best result. That tournament in Russia saw a 2-1 quarter-final win over Brazil — Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne ran the counter that night — before France stopped them 1-0 in the semi-final. A 2-0 win over England in the third-place match delivered bronze. The 1986 side reached the semi-finals too, losing to Argentina after Enzo Scifo's generation beat the Soviet Union in extra time. Belgium's golden generation peaked at third, and the 2022 group-stage exit closed that era.

Belgium won UEFA Group J under Domenico Tedesco, finishing unbeaten across eight matches with 18 goals scored and five conceded. A 3-2 win over Austria in Vienna and a 3-0 victory against Sweden in Stockholm clinched top spot. The campaign was efficient rather than thrilling: Belgium rarely needed to chase a result, and the transition from Roberto Martínez to Tedesco has held, even as the player pool that once made them world number one keeps narrowing.

Tedesco sets up in a 4-2-3-1 built on quick transitions and wide overloads, with freedom for the advanced playmaker to drift inside. Group D pairs Belgium with Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand. Egypt's defensive organisation could frustrate build-up, and Iran's counters will test a back line that has looked vulnerable against pace. Belgium should advance, but the margins are thinner than the group names suggest. A quarter-final would signal real progress for a squad still defining its identity after the golden generation.

Kevin De Bruyne remains Belgium's creative hub, his passing range and vision still the squad's most dangerous weapon even as recurring muscle injuries have eaten into his minutes. Romelu Lukaku is still the focal point in attack, holding up play and finishing at the near post, though the chances that got away in 2022 will trail him into this tournament.