Belgium bounce back from two draws to thrash New Zealand and secure top spot in Group G and a place in the last-32 of the 2026 World Cup.
Belgium kicked off their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1-1 draw against Egypt at Lumen Field in Seattle.
The Red Devils then drew swords with Iran at Los Angeles Stadium in the first-ever meeting between the countries, but had to settle for another point after a goalless stalemate.
The pressure was on ahead of Belgium’s third and final game in Vancouver, where they upped the ante to thrash New Zealand 5-1.
Read on for Belgium’s potential route to the final, next match, and tactical analysis.
Belgium World Cup 2026 route to the final
As Group G winners, Belgium are through to the last-32 where they will have to wait to see their next opponent, which will be a best third-placed finisher from either Group A, J, or K. This match will take place on 1st July in Seattle.
Belgium will be favourites to progress, and if they do, they will take a seat in the last-16 against either co-hosts the United States or Bosnia and Herzegovina in Seattle on 7th July.
If they win that one, the Red Devils are likely to face Spain in the quarter-finals, while potential semi-final opponents could include Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
Should Belgium overcome these obstacles, they will take a prized place in the World Cup final on 19th July.
MORE: Get the latest Belgium World Cup 2026 odds here
Belgium World Cup 2026 stats
Belgium key players for World Cup 2026
Belgium top World Cup Golden Boot contender: Romelu Lukaku
- Key stat: Romelu Lukaku is joint-fifth in the all-time list of international goalscorers.
Belgium’s all-time leading goalscorer — 89 goals and counting — will be determined to reach the century milestone before his international career comes to an end. But, like De Bruyne, Lukaku has suffered with injuries this season. In fact, he didn’t play his first game of the campaign until January 2026.
Belgium primary playmaker: Kevin De Bruyne
- Key stat: Scored six goals in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup – only four European players scored more.
Belgium’s talisman De Bruyne will turn 35 this summer, but as his performances in qualifying showed – six goals – he is still more than capable of turning it on in the international arena. He enjoyed a bright start to the season with Napoli, where he registered six goal involvements in 12 games, but he underwent surgery in October and only returned from injury in March, which didn’t give him too long to fine-tune his game ahead of the World Cup.
Belgium card magnet & top tackler: Thomas Meunier
- Key stat: Thomas Meunier was Belgium’s most-booked player (2) during World Cup qualifying, and second for fouls (nine)
At 34 years old, Meunier is still going strong for Belgium. The right-back is still offering out his usual dose of tough defending, with the Lille man the only Red Devil to be booked more than once during qualifying. He also averaged a team-high 2.3 fouls per 90 minutes, and clocked 1.53 tackles per 90.
Belgium rising star: Matias Fernandez-Pardo
With only two senior caps to his name at the time, Fernandez-Pardo was perhaps a surprise inclusion in the Belgium squad. The 21-year-old, though, has become a key player for French Ligue 1 side Lille since joining from Gent in 2024. With bags of potential and a fearless attitude, he will hope to be a very threatening option from the bench for Rudi Garcia this summer.
STAND-OUT STAT: Belgium entered the opposition box more times than any other team in UEFA qualifying with 490 touches in the penalty area – and they also topped the rankings for build-up attacks, direct attacks and non-penalty xG.
Set-piece specialists
- Penalties: Romelu Lukaku
- Free kicks: Kevin De Bruyne
- Corners: Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans
Belgium tactical analysis & formation
Stats from qualifying:
- Top goalscorer: Kevin De Bruyne – six
- Top assist maker: Alexis Saelemaekers – four
- Most yellow cards: Thomas Meunier – two
Belgium have preferred a 4-3-3 formation for quite some time, and they have lined up in a similar way so far at this summer’s tournament. Charles de Ketelaere started ahead of the prolific Romelu Lukaku for the opener against Egypt, while Premier League stars Leandro Trossard and Jeremy Doku are the preferred starters out wide.
Kevin De Bruyne remains the star man in midfield and is generally joined by Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans. There’s less assurance in defence, but Thibaut Courtois is back in goal having refused to play for some time under previous manager Domenico Tedesco.
Get the latest Belgium World Cup goals, shots, tackle, assist stats and more here
Belgium manager analysis
Rudi Garcia has been in charge of Belgium since January 2025, when he replaced Domenico Tedesco, who spent an underwhelming two years in the job.
Garcia, who has switched between a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 system, negotiated Belgium through a tricky UEFA Nations League promotion/relegation play-off against Ukraine, before overseeing an unbeaten World Cup qualifying campaign. Following the 0-0 draw with Iran, he has suffered just one defeat in his first 16 matches in charge.
The Frenchman brings vast experience to the role, albeit from club level, having previously managed Napoli, Roma, Lyon, Marseille, and Lille; he famously led the latter to a historic Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double.
Belgium’s squad boasts many prized attacking assets, such as Lukaku, De Bruyne, Trossard, and Doku, but there are concerns about their lightweight defence. They conceded five goals across two games against Wales in qualifying, highlighting a defensive vulnerability that could be ruthlessly exposed by elite opposition.
Belgium’s struggles in high-profile fixtures remain a concern. While this predates Garcia’s appointment, he will need to find a formula come the knockout stages of the World Cup – should they advance.
The stats below are from his current spell in charge of the team.
| Coach | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rudi Garcia | Belgium | 16 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 47 | 14 | 56.25% |
Belgium World Cup FAQs
Have Belgium ever won the World Cup?
Belgium have never won the World Cup. Their best finish was third at Russia 2018, while they previously came fourth back in Mexico 1986.
Where did Belgium finish at the last World Cup?
Belgium endured a poor World Cup in Qatar, where they failed to make it out of the group stages.
Who will be Belgium captain at the World Cup?
Belgium are captained by Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans.
Who is Belgium’s all-time top goalscorer at World Cups?
Romelu Lukaku and Marc Wilmots both have five World Cup goals on their CVs.
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