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Belgium national football team

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This article is about the men's team. For the women's team, see Belgium women's national football team.

Belgium
Shirt badge/Association crest
Nickname(s)
  • De Rode Duivels
  • Les Diables rouges
  • Die Roten Teufel
  • (The Red Devils)
AssociationRoyal Belgian Football Association (RBFA)
ConfederationUEFA (Europe)
Head coachDomenico Tedesco
CaptainKevin De Bruyne
Most capsJan Vertonghen (157)[a]
Top scorerRomelu Lukaku (85)[a]
Home stadiumKing Baudouin Stadium
FIFA codeBEL
First colours
Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current 6 Steady (24 October 2024)[1]
Highest1 (November 2015 – March 2016, September 2018 – March 2022[1])
Lowest71 (June 2007[1])
First international
 Belgium 3–3 France 
(Uccle, Belgium; 1 May 1904)
Biggest win
 Belgium 9–0 Zambia 
(Brussels, Belgium; 4 June 1994)
 Belgium 10–1 San Marino 
(Brussels, Belgium; 28 February 2001)
 Belgium 9–0 Gibraltar 
(Liège, Belgium; 31 August 2017)
 Belgium 9–0 San Marino 
(Brussels, Belgium; 10 October 2019)
Biggest defeat
 England Amateurs 11–2 Belgium 
(London, England; 17 April 1909)
World Cup
Appearances14 (first in 1930)
Best resultThird place (2018)
European Championship
Appearances7 (first in 1972)
Best resultRunners-up (1980)
Nations League Finals
Appearances1 (first in 2021)
Best resultFourth place (2021)
Olympic Games
Appearances5 (first in 1900)
Best resultGold medal (1920)
Medal record
Men's football
FIFA World Cup
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Russia Team
UEFA European Championship
Silver medal – second place 1980 Italy Team
Bronze medal – third place 1972 Belgium Team
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1920 Antwerp Team
Bronze medal – third place 1900 Paris Team
Websiterbfa.be

The Belgium national football team[b] has officially represented Belgium in men's international football since their maiden match in 1904. The squad is under the global jurisdiction of FIFA and is governed in Europe by UEFA—both of which were co-founded by the Belgian team's supervising body, the Royal Belgian Football Association. Periods of regular Belgian representation at the highest international level, from 1920 to 1938, from 1980 to 2002 and again from 2014 onwards, have alternated with mostly unsuccessful qualification rounds. Most of Belgium's home matches are played at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.

Belgium's national team have participated in three quadrennial major football competitions. It appeared in the end stages of fourteen FIFA World Cups and six UEFA European Championships, and featured at three Olympic football tournaments, including the 1920 Summer Olympic which they won. Other notable performances are victories over four reigning world champions—West Germany, Brazil, Argentina and France—between 1954 and 2002. Belgium has long-standing football rivalries with its Dutch and French counterparts, having played both teams nearly every year from 1905 to 1967. The squad has been known as the Red Devils since 1906; its fan club is named "1895".

During the national player career of forward Paul Van Himst, the most-praised Belgian footballer of the 20th century, Belgium finished in third place as hosts at UEFA Euro 1972. After that, they experienced two golden ages with many gifted players. In the first period, which lasted from the 1980s to the early 1990s, the team finished as runners-up at UEFA Euro 1980 and fourth in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. In the second, under guidance of Marc Wilmots and later Roberto Martínez in the 2010s, Belgium topped the FIFA World Ranking for the first time in November 2015 and finished third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. To date, Belgium is the only national team in the world to top the FIFA ranking without having won a World Cup or a continental trophy.

History

[edit]
Main article: History of the Belgium national football team

Early history

[edit]

Belgium was one of the first mainland European countries to play association football, with the earliest recorded example of its practice in Belgium dating back to 1863.[3][4]

Football team in uniform
The first Belgium A-squad in 1901 featured four Englishmen.

On 11 October 1900, Beerschot AC honorary president Jorge Díaz announced that Antwerp would host a series of challenge matches between Europe's best football teams.[5] After some organisational problems, on 28 April 1901, Beerschot's pitch hosted its first tournament, in which a Belgian selection and a Dutch team made up of players from third-level sides led by ex-footballer Cees van Hasselt contested the Coupe Vanden Abeele.[6] Naturally, the hosts had little trouble claiming the cup, defeating the Netherlands by 8–0.[6][7][8] Belgium then beat the Netherlands in all three follow-up matches;[9] FIFA does not recognize these results because Belgium fielded some English players, such as Herbert Potts, who scored 12 of "Belgium's" 17 goals.[6][9]

On 1 May 1904, the Belgians played their first official match, against France at the Stade du Vivier d'Oie in Uccle; their draw left the Évence Coppée Trophy unclaimed.[10] Twenty days later, the football boards of both countries were among the seven FIFA founders.[11][12] At that time, the Belgian squad was chosen by a committee chaired by Édouard de Laveleye, who usually drew from the country's six or seven major clubs.[13] Belgium would play twice a year against the Netherlands beginning from 1905 onwards, generally once in Antwerp and once in Rotterdam. From these beginnings until 1925, Belgian-Dutch cup trophies would be awarded in the "Low Countries derby".[7]

In 1906, the national team players received the nickname Red Devils because of their red jerseys,[14] and four years later, Scottish ex-footballer William Maxwell replaced the UBSSA committee as their manager.[15] From 1912, UBSSA governed football only and was renamed UBSFA.[c][17][18] During the Great War, the national team only played unrecognized friendlies, with matches in and against France.[19][20]

Olympic gold and World Cup struggles

[edit]
A successful penalty kick, seen from the back of the net
In the 1920 Olympic football final at the Olympisch Stadion in Antwerp, Robert Coppée scored for Belgium with a penalty kick.

At the 1920 Summer Olympic, in their first official Olympics appearance, the Red Devils won the gold medal on home soil after a controversial final in which their Czechoslovak opponents left the pitch.[21] In the three 1920s Summer Olympic, they achieved fair results (four wins in seven matches), and played their first intercontinental match, against Argentina.[19]

However, over the following decade, Belgium lost all of their matches at the first three FIFA World Cup final tournament.[19] According to historian Richard Henshaw, "[t]he growth of [football] in Scandinavia, Central Europe, and South America left Belgium far behind".[22] Although World War II hindered international football events in the 1940s, the Belgian team remained active with unofficial matches against squads of other allied nations.[23]

Belgium qualified for only one of eight major tournament during the 1950s and the 1960s: the 1954 World Cup. The day before the tournament began, the RBFA was among the three UEFA founders.[24] Dutch journalists considered the draw of the 1954 Belgian team in their opener against England to be the most surprising result of that match day, even more than Switzerland's victory over the Italian "football stars".[25] However, Belgium were eliminated after a loss to Italy in the second (and last) group match.[26] Two bright spots in these decades were wins against World Cup holders: West Germany in 1954, and Brazil in 1963.[19] Between these, Belgium defeated Hungary's Golden Team in 1956.[19] The combination of failure in competitive matches, and success in exhibition matches, gave the Belgians the mock title of "world champions of the friendlies".[27][28]

The team's performance improved during the early 1970s, under manager Raymond Goethals. Fully dressed in white, as the White Devils,[29] Belgium had their first victories at World and European Championship at the 1970 World Cup and Euro 1972.[30][31] En route to that Euro appearance, their first, they eliminated reigning European champions Italy by winning the two-legged quarter-final on aggregate. At the end stage, they finished third by winning the consolation match against Hungary.[31] In 1973, the denial of a match-winning goal in their last 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification match for UEFA Group 3 cost Belgium their appearance at the final,[32] causing Belgium to become the only nation ever to miss a World Cup final round despite not allowing a goal during the qualifiers.[33] The next two attempts to reach a major final (Euro 1976 and the 1978 FIFA World Cup) were also fruitless.[34][35]

The Belgian national team in 1977

Golden age

[edit]

Beginning with a second-place finish at Euro 1980,[36] the 1980s and the early 1990s are generally considered as Belgium's first golden age.[37] Coached by Guy Thys, they achieved their spot in the 1980 final with an unbeaten record in the group phase; in the final, they narrowly lost the title to West Germany with the score 1–2.[36] Starting with the 1982 World Cup, and ending with the 2002 World Cup, the national team qualified for six consecutive World Cup end stages and mostly progressed to the second round.[38] During this period, managers Guy Thys, Paul Van Himst and Robert Waseige each guided a Belgian selection past the first round.[39][40][41] In addition to receiving individual FIFA recognitions,[42][43] the team reached the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup.[44] After reaching the Euro 1980 final, they were unsuccessful at subsequent European Championship, with early exits from their appearances in 1984 and in 2000.[45][46] During the late 1990s, they played three friendly tournament in Morocco, Cyprus and Japan,[47][48] sharing the 1999 Kirin Cup with Peru in the latter.[49] The greatest talents of the Belgian team during this golden age were retired from international football by 2000.[50] At the eve of the World Cup in 2002, Belgium defeated reigning world and European champions France.[19] During that World Cup, Belgium defeated Russia and tied with co-host Japan and Tunisia to reach the round of 16.[41]

After the 2002 World Cup, the team weakened with the loss of more veterans and coach Waseige.[51][52] They missed out five successive major finals from UEFA Euro 2004 until UEFA Euro 2012, and went through an equal number of head coaches.[53] A 2005 win over reigning European champions Greece meant nothing but a small comfort.[19] In between, a promising new generation was maturing at the 2007 European U-21 Championship; Belgium's squad qualified for the following year's Summer Olympic in Beijing,[54] where the Young Red Devils squad finished fourth.[55] Seventeen of them appeared in the senior national team,[50] albeit without making an immediate impact. Belgium finished in second (and last) place at the Kirin Cup in May 2009,[56] and lost against the 125th FIFA-ranked Armenian team in September 2009.[1] After Georges Leekens' second stint as national manager,[57][58] his assistant Marc Wilmots became the caretaker in May 2012.[59]

Second golden age

[edit]

After two matches as interim coach, Wilmots agreed to replace Leekens as manager.[60] Following his appointment, the team's results improved,[61] such that some foreign media regarded it as another Belgian golden generation.[62][63][64] The young Belgian squad qualified as unbeaten group winners for the 2014 World Cup final,[65] and earned Belgium's second-ever place in a World Cup quarter-finals with a four-match winning streak.[66]

Belgian defender maneuvering around the Algerian goal
Belgium (in red) playing Algeria at the Mineirão at the 2014 World Cup

Belgium qualified for UEFA Euro 2016 with a match to spare in October 2015,[67] and took the top spot in the FIFA World Ranking for the first time in November 2015,[68] to stay first for five months.[1][69] In the following year, Belgium could not confirm their role as outsider at the European Championship with a quarter-finals elimination by the 26th FIFA-ranked Welsh team.[1][70] This prompted the RBFA to dismiss Wilmots.[71] In the 2018 World Cup qualifying allocation, they were seeded first in their group,[72][73] and made the final tournament under Spanish manager Roberto Martínez, becoming the first European team besides hosts Russia to do so.[74] Belgium was eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual champions France, but won the third place play-off against England.[75] On 16 November 2019, for the first time in its history the team topped the World Football Elo Ratings, after a 1–4 away win over Russia during the Euro 2020 qualifiers.[2]

Despite the impressive form in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers as well as being regarded as the biggest contender for the European trophy, the tournament became a complete disappointment for Belgium. Being drawn in Group B alongside Russia, Denmark and Finland, Belgium easily conquered the group with three wins.[76][77][78] In the knockout phase, Belgium first faced reigning champions Portugal in the last sixteen and survived the scare with a thunder strike from Thorgan Hazard to give Belgium a 1–0 win.[79] In the quarter-finals, Belgium once again faced old foe Italy, but Belgium failed to take revenge for their 2016 loss, once again suffering a 1–2 defeat, with the goal being scored by Romelu Lukaku, ending Belgium's campaign on a sad note.[80]

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Belgium were drawn into Group F alongside Croatia, Morocco and Canada. Despite starting their campaign well with a 1–0 victory over Canada, they then suffered a shock 2–0 defeat to Morocco, and following a 0–0 draw with Croatia in their final group game, Belgium were knocked out of the tournament at the group stages for the first time since 1998.[81] Following their elimination from the tournament, Martínez announced that he would be standing down as head coach after six years in charge of the national team.[82]

In February 2023, it was announced that Domenico Tedesco has been appointed as the new head coach of the Belgian national team, replacing Roberto Martinez on a contract lasting until the end of Euro 2024.[83] At the finals, Belgium were eliminated in the round of 16, losing 1–0 to France.[84]

Team image

[edit]

Kits

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Belgium national football team kits.
See also: Kit history
Stylised lion emblem (1948–80)
RFBA emblem (1980–2019)
Former crests with stylised lion emblem (1948–80) and RFBA emblem (1980–2019)

In home matches, the team's outfield players traditionally wear the colours of the Belgian flag: black, yellow and red.[85][86][87] Red dominates the strip and is often the sole jersey colour.[86][87] The away colours are usually white, black or both;[88] in 2014, the squad introduced a third, yellow kit.[89] Their shirts are often trimmed with tricolores at the margins.[87][90] Since 1981, the RBFA emblem has been the national team's badge;[87][91] the previous badge was a yellow lion on a black shield,[86][87] similar to the escutcheon of the national coat of arms.[92] On 8 November 2019, the Royal Belgian Football Association revealed a new logo, which preserved the main elements of the previous one: the royal crown, the wreath and the Belgian tricolor.[93]

For their first unofficial match in 1901, the Belgian team wore white jerseys with tricoloured bands on the upper arms.[7] Around their third unofficial match in 1902, the choice was made for a "shirt with national colours ... [that would indicate,] with a stripe, the number of times every player has participated in an encounter".[94] Since 1904, Belgium's classic all-red jersey design has been altered twice. In 1904–05, the squad briefly wore satin shirts with three horizontal bands in red, yellow and black; according to sports journalist Victor Boin, the shirts set "the ugliness record".[13] During the 1970s, manager Raymond Goethals chose an all-white combination to improve the team's visibility during evening matches.[29][95]

Six clothing manufacturers have supplied the official team strip. Adidas is the producer since 2014,[96] and closed a sponsorship deal with the RBFA until 2026;[97] it was also the supplier from 1974 to 1980, and from 1982 to 1991.[98] Former kit manufacturers are Umbro (early 1970s),[95][98] Admiral (1981–1982),[d][98] Diadora (1992–1999),[98] Nike (1999–2010) and Burrda (2010–2014).[e][98][100]

Traditional red home jersey during the 2018 World Cup where the team finished third.
Kit supplier Period
United Kingdom Umbro Early 1970s
West Germany Adidas 1974–1981
United Kingdom Admiral 1981–1982
Germany Adidas 1982–1991
Italy Diadora 1992–1999
United States Nike 1999–2010
Switzerland Burrda 2010–2014
Germany Adidas 2014–present

Media coverage

[edit]
Journalist, seated in the stands and speaking into a microphone
Gust De Muynck's live coverage during Belgium–Netherlands in 1931

The first live coverage of a Belgian sporting event occurred on 3 May 1931, when journalist Gust De Muynck commentated on the football match between Belgium and the Netherlands on radio.[101] Later, football broadcasts were also televised. As 60 per cent of Belgians speak Dutch and 40 per cent French,[102] commentaries for the national team matches are provided in both languages. The matches are not broadcast in German—Belgium's third official language.[102] During Belgium's tournament appearances in the 1980s and the early 1990s, Rik De Saedeleer crowned himself the nation's most famous football commentator with his emotional and humorous reports.[103]

Initially the matches were transmitted mainly on public television channels: the former BRTN (now VRT) in Dutch, and the RTBF in French. Since 1994, commercial channels such as vtm and its sister channel Kanaal 2, and VIER in Flanders, have purchased broadcasting rights.[17] The Euro 2016 round-of-16 match against Hungary was the most-watched programme in Belgian television history, with an audience of over four million viewers out of 11.3 million Belgian citizens.[102][104][105]

In April 2014, the VRT started transmitting a nine-piece, behind-the-scenes documentary about the national team filmed during the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, titled Iedereen Duivel (Everybody Devil).[106] Cable broadband provider Telenet broadcast an eight-part documentary about individual players titled Rode Helden (Red Heroes).[107]

Side activities

[edit]
Old cartoon of an association football match with the goalkeeper in the middle who jumps and hits the ball
Illustration of Belgium's game against France in April 1918: some of such unofficial wartime matches served as charity fundraisers.

Multiple events were organised for the fans during the squad's peak popularity in the 2010s. During the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, a string of interactive events called the Devil Challenges were organised.[108] The premise was that small groups of international players would do a favour in return for each of the five comprehensive chores their supporters completed ("colour Belgium red", "gather 500,000 decibels", etc.), all of which were accomplished.[109] In June 2013, the Belgian national team's first ever Fan Day attracted over 20,000 supporters;[110] a second was held after the 2014 World Cup.[111] On the days of Belgium's 2014 World Cup group matches, large dance events titled Dance with the Devils took place in three Belgian cities.[112] This type of happening was repeated during Belgium's Euro 2016 group matches.[113]

Occasionally, the Belgian team directly supported charity. Between 1914 and 1941 they played at least five unofficial matches of which the returns were for charitable purposes: two against France,[20][114] and three against the Netherlands.[115][116] In mid-1986, when the Belgian delegation reached the Mexico World Cup semi-finals, the squad started a project titled Casa Hogar, an idea of delegation leader Michel D'Hooghe.[117] Casa Hogar is a home for street children in the Mexican industrial city of Toluca, to which the footballers donated part of their tournament bonuses.[118] In August 2013, the national team supported four social projects through the charity fund Football+ Foundation, by playing an A-match with a plus sign on the shoulders of their jerseys and auctioning the shirts.[119]

In the 21st century, several national team players acted up against discrimination. In 2002, the national squad held its first anti-racism campaign in which they posed with slogans.[120] A home Euro 2012 qualifier was given the theme of respect for diversity in 2010; this UEFA-supported action was part of the European FARE Action Week.[121] Ex-Red Devil Dimitri Mbuyu—the first black Belgium player (in 1987)[50][122]—was engaged as godfather, and other foreign, current, and former footballers who played in the Belgian top division participated.[123] In 2018, four national team players spoke up against homophobic violence, in a video clip made by organisation Kick It Out.[124]

Nickname, logo and mascot

[edit]

After a 1905 match, a Dutch reporter wrote that three Belgian footballers "work[ed] as devils".[125] A year later Léopold FC manager Pierre Walckiers nicknamed the players Red Devils, inspired by their jersey colour, and the achievement of three successive victories in 1906.[14][19] Because of their white home shirts in the 1970s, they were temporarily known as the White Devils.[29] Since 2012, the team logo is a red trident (or three-pronged pitchfork),[126] an item that is often associated with the devil.[127] Apart from that, the national squad has also had four official anthropomorphous mascots. The first was a lion in team kit named Diabolix,[128] a reference to the central symbol in the Belgian coat of arms that appeared on the team jerseys from 1905 to 1980.[87][129] In accordance with their epithet, the next mascots were a red super-devil and two fan-made modern devils; the most recent one, since 2018, was named "Red".[128][130]

Supporters

[edit]

"Cycling is the traditional national sport of Belgium, but soccer is the most popular."

—Historian Richard Henshaw, 1979[18]

Fans of the Belgian national team display the country's tricolour national flag, usually with an emphasis on the red element. In 2012, local supporter clubs merged into one large Belgian federation named "1895" after the foundation year of the RBFA. One year later, 1895 had 24,000 members.[131] The nationwide interest in the football squad has also been reflected by the occasional presence of Belgian monarchs at their matches since 1914.[132][133][134] One of the greatest moments for the Belgian team and their 12th man was in mid-1986 when the Belgian delegation at the Mexico World Cup received a warm "welcome home". When the World Cup semi-finalists appeared on the balcony of Brussels Town Hall, the adjoining Grand Place square was filled with an ecstatic crowd that cheered as though their squad had won a major tournament.[135]

About a hundred Belgian football wearing mainly red shirts sitting in the stadium
Crowd of Belgian fans in Kaliningrad Stadium at the 2018 World Cup

The team's deterioration after the 2002 World Cup lead to their absence from the end stages of the next five major tournament, and strained their popularity. Between 2004 and 2010, local journalists called the Belgian footballing nation "mortally ill".[136][137] Of the fans that kept supporting their squad in bad times, Ludo Rollenberg was one of the most loyal. He attended the team's matches worldwide since 1990, missing only the 1999 Japanese Kirin Cup and two other matches by 2006,[138] and was the only supporter to attend their matches in Armenia in 2009.[139]

Just before the kick-off of a 2014 World Cup home qualifier, Belgium's footballers saw a first tifo banner, sized 10.5 by 11.5 metres (34 by 38 ft) depicting a devil in the national colours.[140] The presence of many Belgian players in top leagues abroad, such as the Premier League,[141] and promising results under Marc Wilmots, increased fans' enthusiasm and belief in a successful World Cup campaign.[110][142] Because of this popularity peak, two Belgian monuments were decorated in national colours for the 2014 FIFA World Cup event; the Manneken Pis statue received a child-sized version of the new Belgian uniform,[143] and facets of the Atomium's upper sphere were covered in black, yellow and red vinyl.[144]

Rivalries

[edit]
See also: Low Countries derby
Match phase with two outfield players from each side
Illustration of a Netherlands–Belgium cup match at Rotterdam's Schuttersveld pitch in 1905

Belgium's main football rivals are its neighbors the Netherlands and France, with which it shares close cultural and political relations.[145][146] The matchup between the Belgian and Dutch team is known as the Low Countries derby, as of May 2018 they have played each other in 126 official matches.[115][147] Belgium won the first four—unofficial—matches against the Netherlands,[94] but lost their first FIFA-recognised contest.[19] The two national teams played each other biannually between 1905 and 1964, except during the World Wars.[19] They have met 18 times in major tournament campaigns, and have played at least 35 friendly cup matches: in Belgium for the Coupe Vanden Abeele, and in the Netherlands for the Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad-Beker.[8][125] The overall balance favours the Netherlands, with 55 wins against 41 Belgian victories.[147] The Low Countries' squads co-operated in fundraising initiatives between 1925 and 1941; they played five unofficial matches for charity, FIFA and the Belgian Olympic Committee.[115][116][148]

The clash between the Belgian and French sides is nicknamed le Match Sympathique in French ("the Friendly Match");[149] they have contested 74 official matches as of September 2020.[147] The first match between Belgium and France, the Évence Coppée Trophy played in 1904, was the first official match for both teams and the first official football match between independent countries on the European continent.[150] Until 1967, the sides met almost annually.[19] As of September 2020, Belgium have the better record, with 30 wins to France's 25,[147] and France has played most often against Belgium in international football.[147]

Stadium

[edit]
Main articles: Belgium national football team home stadium and King Baudouin Stadium
Aerial photo of packed stadium
Stadium interior, photographed from the grandstand
The Jubilee Stadium on the Heysel Plateau in 1935 (left) and the King Baudouin Stadium in 2013 (right)

Numerous former and current venues in 11 urban areas have hosted Belgium's home matches.[19] Most of these matches have been played in Brussels on the Heysel Plateau, on the site of the present-day King Baudouin Stadium—a multipurpose facility with a seating capacity of 50,122.[151] Its field also hosts the team's final trainings before domestic matches. Since 2007, most physical preparation takes place at the National Football Centre in Tubize,[152] or at Anderlecht's training ground in the Neerpede quarter.[153][154] Apart from Belgian home friendlies, at the international level Belgium's national stadium has also hosted six European Championship matches.[155][156]

In 1930, for the country's centennial, the venue was inaugurated as the Jubilee Stadium with an unofficial match between Belgium and the Netherlands.[115] At that time, the stadium had a capacity of 75,000.[157] In 1946, it was renamed Heysel Stadium after its city quarter. This new name became associated with the tragedy preceding the 1985 European Cup Final between Juventus and Liverpool; 39 spectators died after riots in the then antiquated building.[158][159] Three years after the disaster, plans were unveiled for a renovation;[160] in 1995, after two years of work, the modernised stadium was named after the late King Baudouin.[161] In May 2013, the Brussels-Capital Region announced that the King Baudouin Stadium would be replaced by Eurostadium, elsewhere on the Heysel Plateau;[162] in 2018, however, the plans for the new stadium were cancelled definitively.[163]

Results and fixtures

[edit]
See also: Belgium national football team results and Belgium national football team records and statistics

As of 14 October 2024, the complete official match record of the Belgian national team comprises 846 matches: 374 wins, 178 draws and 294 losses.[a][19][168] During these matches, the team scored 1,516 times and conceded 1,314 goals. Belgium's highest winning margin is nine goals, which has been achieved on four occasions: against Zambia in 1994 (9–0), twice against San Marino in 2001 (10–1) and 2019 (9–0), and against Gibraltar in 2017 (9–0).[19] Their longest winning streak is 12 wins, and their highest unbeaten record is 23 consecutive official matches.[f][19]

The following is a list of match results in the last twelve months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

  Win   Draw   Loss   Fixture

2023

[edit]
15 November 2023 Friendly Belgium  1–0  Serbia Leuven, Belgium
20:45
  • Carrasco 2'
 Report Stadium: Den Dreef
Referee: Marian Barbu (Romania)
19 November 2023 UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying Group F Belgium  5–0  Azerbaijan Brussels, Belgium
18:00
Report Stadium: King Baudouin Stadium
Attendance: 30,276
Referee: Gergő Bogár (Hungary)

2024

[edit]
23 March 2024 Friendly Republic of Ireland  0–0  Belgium Dublin, Ireland
20:45 Report Stadium: Aviva Stadium
Attendance: 38,128
Referee: Rohit Saggi (Norway)
26 March 2024 Friendly England  2–2  Belgium London, England
20:45
Report
Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 80,733
Referee: Sebastian Gishamer (Austria)
5 June 2024 Friendly Belgium  2–0  Montenegro Brussels, Belgium
20:30
Report Stadium: King Baudouin Stadium
Referee: Kristoffer Karlsson (Sweden)
8 June 2024 Friendly Belgium  3–0  Luxembourg Brussels, Belgium
20:00
Report Stadium: King Baudouin Stadium
Referee: Paweł Raczkowski (Poland)
17 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group E Belgium  0–1  Slovakia Frankfurt, Germany
18:00 Report
Stadium: Waldstadion
Attendance: 45,181
Referee: Halil Umut Meler (Turkey)
22 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group E Belgium  2–0  Romania Cologne, Germany
21:00
Report Stadium: RheinEnergieStadion
Attendance: 42,535
Referee: Szymon Marciniak (Poland)
26 June 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Group E Ukraine  0–0  Belgium Stuttgart, Germany
18:00 Report Stadium: MHPArena
Attendance: 54,000
Referee: Anthony Taylor (England)
1 July 2024 UEFA Euro 2024 Round of 16 France  1–0  Belgium Düsseldorf, Germany
18:00
Report Stadium: Merkur Spiel-Arena
Attendance: 46,810
Referee: Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
6 September 2024 (2024-09-06) 2024–25 Nations League Belgium  3–1  Israel Debrecen, Hungary
20:45
Report
Stadium: Nagyerdei Stadion
Attendance: 0
Referee: Michael Oliver (England)
9 September 2024 (2024-09-09) 2024–25 Nations League France  2–0  Belgium Décines-Charpieu, France
20:45
Report Stadium: Parc Olympique Lyonnais
Attendance: 42,358
Referee: Tobias Stieler (Germany)
10 October 2024 (2024-10-10) 2024–25 Nations League Italy  2–2  Belgium Rome, Italy
20:45
Report
Stadium: Stadio Olimpico
Attendance: 44,297
Referee: Espen Eskås (Norway)
14 October 2024 (2024-10-14) 2024–25 Nations League Belgium  1–2  France Brussels, Belgium
20:45
Report
Stadium: King Baudouin Stadium
Attendance: 39,731
Referee: Irfan Peljto (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
14 November 2024 (2024-11-14) 2024–25 Nations League Belgium  v  Italy Brussels, Belgium
20:45 Report Stadium: King Baudouin Stadium
17 November 2024 (2024-11-17) 2024–25 Nations League Israel  v  Belgium Budapest, Hungary[g]
20:45 Report Stadium: Bozsik Aréna

Coaching staff

[edit]

Source:[170]

Position Name
Head coach GermanyItaly Domenico Tedesco
Assistant coaches Germany Andreas Hinkel
England Luke Benstead
Goalkeeper coach Germany Max Urwantschky
Physical coaches Serbia Vladimir Cepzanovic
Belgium Bram Gielen
Team manager Belgium Piet Erauw
Assistant technical director Belgium Jelle Schelstraete
Nutritionist Belgium Janne Geers
Performance analysts Germany Umberto Tedesco
Belgium Dylan Vanhaeren
Belgium Maxim Wouters
Team doctors Belgium Kristof Sas
Belgium Geert Declercq
Physiotherapists Belgium James Van Gemert
Belgium Gertjan Jespers
Belgium Sander Nuyens
England Thomas O'Malley

Coaching history

[edit]
Further information: List of Belgium national football team managers

Since 1904, the RBFA, 25 permanent managers and two caretaker managers have officially been in charge of the national team;[h][15][53] this includes one national footballer selector.[15] As of June 2024, a crew of over 30 RBFA employees guides the player group, including German-Italian head coach Domenico Tedesco, and assistant coaches Andreas Hinkel and Luke Benstead.[170] Under Marc Wilmots, Belgium reached the top FIFA ranking spot in 2015, which earned him the title of Best Coach of the Year at the 2015 Globe Soccer Awards.[173] Under Guy Thys, the squad achieved record results at World and European Championship; World Soccer magazine accordingly proclaimed him Manager of the Year in 1986.[174] Under Spanish coach Roberto Martínez, the team reached a best-ever third place finish at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Rather than developing innovative team formations or styles of play, Belgium's managers applied conventional tactics. At the three 1930s World Cups, the Red Devils were aligned in a contemporary 2–3–5 "pyramid".[175][176][177] In 1954, Doug Livingstone's squad played in a 3–2–5 "WM" arrangement during World Cup matches.[26] Throughout most of their tournament matches in the 1970s, the 1980s and the 1990s, the team played in a 4–4–2 formation.[30][39][40] Since Raymond Goethals' stint in the 1970s, a key strength of the Belgian squad has been their systematic use of the offside trap,[178] a defensive tactic that was already intensively applied in the 1960s by Anderlecht coach Pierre Sinibaldi.[179] According to football journalist Wim De Bock, "master tactician" Goethals represented the "conservative, defensive football of the Belgian national team"; he added that in the 1970s, the contrast between the Belgian playing style and the Total Football of their Dutch rivals "could not be bigger".[180]

In an attempt to win a match at the 1998 World Cup, Georges Leekens chose a 4–3–3 arrangement for Belgium's second and third group matches.[181] Robert Waseige, Belgium coach around 2000, said that "above all, [his] 4–4–2 system [was] holy", in the sense that he left good attackers on the bench to keep his favourite formation.[182] Wilmots opted for the 4–3–3 line-up again,[183] with the intention of showing dominant football against any country.[184]

Players

[edit]
See also: List of Belgium international footballers and List of Belgium national football team captains

Current squad

[edit]

On 4 October 2024, the following 23 players were named in the squad for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League matches against Italy and France on 10 and 14 October 2024, respectively.[185] On 7 October, Aster Vranckx was called-up to replace the injured Amadou Onana, who would not be joining the squad.[186] One day later, Matz Sels also dropped out due to injury, with Ortwin De Wolf his replacement.[187]

Information correct as of 14 October 2024, after the match against  France.[188][189]

No. Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club
1 1GK Koen Casteels (1992-06-25) 25 June 1992 (age 32) 18 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Qadsiah
12 1GK Ortwin De Wolf (1997-04-23) 23 April 1997 (age 27) 0 0 Belgium Mechelen
13 1GK Maarten Vandevoordt (2002-02-26) 26 February 2002 (age 22) 0 0 Germany RB Leipzig
2 2DF Zeno Debast (2003-10-24) 24 October 2003 (age 21) 14 0 Portugal Sporting CP
3 2DF Arthur Theate (2000-05-25) 25 May 2000 (age 24) 22 0 Germany Eintracht Frankfurt
4 2DF Wout Faes (1998-04-03) 3 April 1998 (age 26) 23 0 England Leicester City
5 2DF Maxim De Cuyper (2000-12-22) 22 December 2000 (age 23) 5 1 Belgium Club Brugge
14 2DF Koni De Winter (2002-06-12) 12 June 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Italy Genoa
15 2DF Matte Smets (2004-01-04) 4 January 2004 (age 20) 0 0 Belgium Genk
16 2DF Sebastiaan Bornauw (1999-03-22) 22 March 1999 (age 25) 4 0 Germany VfL Wolfsburg
21 2DF Timothy Castagne (1995-12-05) 5 December 1995 (age 28) 51 2 England Fulham
6 3MF Aster Vranckx (2002-10-04) 4 October 2002 (age 22) 9 0 Germany VfL Wolfsburg
8 3MF Youri Tielemans (1997-05-07) 7 May 1997 (age 27) 74 9 England Aston Villa
17 3MF Charles De Ketelaere (2001-03-10) 10 March 2001 (age 23) 20 2 Italy Atalanta
18 3MF Orel Mangala (1998-03-18) 18 March 1998 (age 26) 22 0 England Everton
20 3MF Arne Engels (2003-09-08) 8 September 2003 (age 21) 2 0 Scotland Celtic
22 3MF Malick Fofana (2005-03-31) 31 March 2005 (age 19) 1 0 France Lyon
7 4FW Jérémy Doku (2002-05-27) 27 May 2002 (age 22) 30 2 England Manchester City
9 4FW Loïs Openda (2000-02-16) 16 February 2000 (age 24) 24 3 Germany RB Leipzig
10 4FW Leandro Trossard (1994-12-04) 4 December 1994 (age 29) 39 10 England Arsenal
11 4FW Dodi Lukebakio (1997-09-24) 24 September 1997 (age 27) 22 2 Spain Sevilla
19 4FW Johan Bakayoko (2003-04-20) 20 April 2003 (age 21) 16 1 Netherlands PSV Eindhoven
23 4FW Cyril Ngonge (2000-05-26) 26 May 2000 (age 24) 1 0 Italy Napoli

Recent call-ups

[edit]

The following footballers were part of a national selection in the past twelve months, but not part of the most recent squad.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Matz Sels (1992-02-26) 26 February 1992 (age 32) 8 0 England Nottingham Forest v.  Italy, 10 October 2024 INJ
GK Thomas Kaminski (1992-10-23) 23 October 1992 (age 32) 1 0 England Luton Town v.  France, 9 September 2024
GK Arnaud Bodart (1998-03-11) 11 March 1998 (age 26) 0 0 Belgium Standard Liège v.  England, 26 March 2024
DF Thomas Meunier (1991-09-12) 12 September 1991 (age 33) 67 8 France Lille v.  France, 9 September 2024
DF Jan Vertonghen (1987-04-24) 24 April 1987 (age 37) 157 10 Belgium Anderlecht UEFA Euro 2024 RET
DF Ameen Al-Dakhil (2002-03-06) 6 March 2002 (age 22) 4 0 Germany VfB Stuttgart v.  Azerbaijan, 19 November 2023
DF Jorne Spileers (2005-01-21) 21 January 2005 (age 19) 0 0 Belgium Club Brugge v.  Azerbaijan, 19 November 2023
DF Zinho Vanheusden (1999-07-29) 29 July 1999 (age 25) 1 0 Belgium Mechelen v.  Serbia, 15 November 2023 INJ
MF Amadou Onana (2001-08-16) 16 August 2001 (age 23) 19 0 England Aston Villa v.  Italy, 10 October 2024 INJ
MF Kevin De Bruyne (captain) (1991-06-28) 28 June 1991 (age 33) 107 30 England Manchester City v.  France, 9 September 2024
MF Alexis Saelemaekers (1999-06-27) 27 June 1999 (age 25) 12 1 Italy Roma v.  France, 9 September 2024
MF Arthur Vermeeren (2005-02-07) 7 February 2005 (age 19) 4 0 Germany RB Leipzig v.  France, 9 September 2024
MF Axel Witsel (1989-01-12) 12 January 1989 (age 35) 132 12 Spain Atlético Madrid UEFA Euro 2024
MF Mandela Keita (2002-05-10) 10 May 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Italy Parma UEFA Euro 2024 PRE
MF Olivier Deman (2000-04-06) 6 April 2000 (age 24) 3 0 Germany Werder Bremen v.  England, 26 March 2024
FW Julien Duranville (2006-05-05) 5 May 2006 (age 18) 2 0 Germany Borussia Dortmund v.  France, 9 September 2024
FW Romelu Lukaku (vice-captain) (1993-05-13) 13 May 1993 (age 31) 119 85 Italy Napoli UEFA Euro 2024
FW Yannick Carrasco (1993-09-04) 4 September 1993 (age 31) 78 11 Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab UEFA Euro 2024
FW Michy Batshuayi (1993-10-02) 2 October 1993 (age 31) 55 27 Turkey Galatasaray v.  England, 26 March 2024
  • PRE Preliminary squad / standby
  • RET Retired from the national team
  • INJ Player injuries
  • ILL Player illness
  • U21 Moved to U21 squad
  • WD Player withdrew from squad due to non-injury issue

Notable

[edit]
Player on the pitch in national team outfit
Paul Van Himst in 1964

Between 1904 and 1980, mainly attacking Belgium players were recognised as talented footballers. In the team's first decade, striker Robert De Veen was very productive with 26 goals in 23 international appearances.[190] Richard Henshaw described Alphonse Six as "Belgium's greatest player in the prewar period ... [who] was often called the most skillful forward outside Great Britain".[22] The key player of the victorious 1920 Olympic squad was Robert Coppée, who scored a hat-trick against Spain's Ricardo Zamora,[191] and the penalty in the final.[192] Other outstanding Belgian strikers in the interwar period were former top scorer Bernard Voorhoof and "Belgium's football grandmaster" Raymond Braine,[50][193] considered "one of the greatest players of the era".[194]

Gifted players in the 1940s and the 1950s included centre-back Louis Carré and attackers Jef Mermans, Pol Anoul and Rik Coppens;[22] at the 1954 World Cup, Anoul shone with three goals,[26] and newspaper L'Équipe named Coppens the event's best centre forward.[195] The 1960s and the early 1970s were the glory days of forward and four-time Belgian Golden Shoe Paul Van Himst,[196] later elected Belgian UEFA Golden Player of 1954–2003 and Belgium's Player of the Century by IFFHS.[197][198]

Eden Hazard, former team captain and second top scoring player for Belgium[199]

At the 1965 Ballon d'Or, Van Himst ranked fourth, achieving Belgium's highest ever position at the European football election.[200] Decades after Coppens and Van Himst had retired from playing football, a journalist on a Flemish television show asked them "Who [from both of you] was the best, actually?". Coppens replied: "I will ask Paul that ... If Paul says it was me, then he's right".[201] In 1966, striker Raoul Lambert and defending midfielder Wilfried Van Moer joined the national team;[50] while the UEFA praised Lambert for his skills at Euro 1972,[202] Van Moer won three Golden Shoes and equalled Van Himst's fourth rank at the 1980 Ballon d'Or.[196][203]

Belgium has seen two talented waves since 1980, from which several players in defensive positions gained international fame. In the 1980s and the early 1990s, goalkeepers Jean-Marie Pfaff and Michel Preud'homme were elected best custodians at FIFA World Cups,[42][43] while FIFA recognised midfielders Jan Ceulemans and Enzo Scifo as the propelling forces of Belgium's 1986 FIFA World Cup squad.[42][204] In 2002, after all players of this generation had retired,[50] Marc Wilmots became Belgium's top scorer at the World Cup with five goals.[41][181]

During the 10 years from 2002 to 2012 in which Belgium failed to qualify for major tournament, another golden generation matured, many of whom gained both prime individual and team awards in foreign European top clubs and competitions.[i] These include defender Vincent Kompany,[205][206] midfielder Kevin De Bruyne who is one of the best attacking midfielders in the world and his generation;[207] and winger Eden Hazard, who has been praised as one of Chelsea F.C.'s greatest players ever[208] and one of his era's best footballers in the world,[209] in the team, he is ranked only after Romelu Lukaku on Belgium's all-time scoring leaderboard.[210][211] Honorable mentions of this golden generation are Thibaut Courtois, Jan Vertonghen, Dries Mertens, and Toby Alderweireld.[212] These players helped Belgium finish at the third place of 2018 FIFA World Cup, the team's best result at the tournament and reach number one on FIFA ranking twice, since 2015.[213][214]

Individual statistics

[edit]

Most capped players

[edit]
Jan Vertonghen is Belgium's most capped player with 157 appearances.

As of 9 September 2024, the RBFA lists 725 players who appeared on the men's senior national team.[50] With 157 caps according to the RBFA, Jan Vertonghen has the most appearances for Belgium.[a][190] Eden Hazard started the most matches as captain (59).[215] Hector Goetinck had the longest career as an international footballer: 17 years, 6 months and 10 days.[50]

As of 9 September 2024. The records are collected based on data from FIFA and RSSSF. Statistics include three matches that are unrecognised by FIFA.[j]
Players in bold are still active with Belgium.
Rank Player Caps Goals Position Belgium career
1 Jan Vertonghen 157 10 DF 2007–2024
2 Axel Witsel 132 12 MF 2008–present
3 Toby Alderweireld 127 5 DF 2009–2022
4 Eden Hazard 126 33 MF/FW 2008–2022
5 Romelu Lukaku 119 85 FW 2010–present
6 Dries Mertens 109 21 FW 2011–2022
7 Kevin De Bruyne 107 30 MF 2010–present
8 Thibaut Courtois 102 0 GK 2011–2023
9 Jan Ceulemans 96 23 MF/FW 1977–1991
10 Timmy Simons 94 6 DF/MF 2001–2016

Top goalscorers

[edit]
See also: List of Belgium national football team hat-tricks
Romelu Lukaku is Belgium's top goalscorer with 85 goals.

Romelu Lukaku is the highest-scoring Belgium player with 85 goals.[a][190] Those who scored the most goals in one match are Robert De Veen, Bert De Cleyn and Josip Weber with five;[50] Lukaku holds the record for the most hat-tricks with four.[50] Belgium's fastest goal after the initial kick-off was scored by Christian Benteke, 8.1 seconds into a match against Gibraltar on 10 October 2016.[215][217]

As of 9 September 2024. The records are collected based on data from FIFA and RSSSF. Statistics include three matches that are unrecognised by FIFA.[k]
Players in bold are still active with Belgium.
Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Belgium career
1 Romelu Lukaku (list) 85 119 0.71 2010–present
2 Eden Hazard 33 126 0.26 2008–2022
3 Bernard Voorhoof 30 61 0.49 1928–1940
Paul Van Himst 30 81 0.37 1960–1974
Kevin De Bruyne 30 107 0.28 2010–present
6 Marc Wilmots 28 70 0.4 1990–2002
7 Michy Batshuayi 27 55 0.49 2015–present
Joseph Mermans 27 56 0.48 1945–1956
9 Robert De Veen 26 23 1.13 1906–1913
Raymond Braine 26 55 0.47 1925–1939

Competitive record

[edit]
See also: Achievements

FIFA World Cup

[edit]
Main article: Belgium at the FIFA World Cup

Belgium failed to progress past the first round of their earliest five World Cup participations. After two scoreless defeats at the inaugural World Cup in 1930,[175] the team scored in their first-round knockout matches in the 1934 and 1938 editions—but only enough to save their honours.[176][177] In 1954, they drew with England (4–4 after extra time),[26] and in 1970, they won their first World Cup match, against El Salvador (3–0).[30]

From 1982 until 2002, Belgium qualified for six successive World Cup, and in the tournament finals they advanced beyond the first round five times.[38] In the 1982 FIFA World Cup opener, Belgium beat defending champions Argentina 1–0. Their tournament ended in the second group stage, after a Polish hat-trick by Zbigniew Boniek and a 0–1 loss against the Soviet Union.[39]

Match phase with aerial play
United States–Belgium in 1930 was the joint first ever World Cup match.

At Mexico 1986, the Belgian team achieved their then best-ever World Cup run at the time. In the knockout phase as underdogs they beat the Soviets after extra time (3–4);[218] the unnoticed offside position of Jan Ceulemans, during the initial ninety minutes, allowed him to equalise (2–2) and force the match into extra time.[219] They also beat Spain, in a penalty shoot-out after a 1–1 draw, but lost to eventual champions Argentina in the semi-finals 2–0, and France in the third-place match (4–2).[44]

In the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Belgium dominated periods of their second-round match against England;[220] Enzo Scifo and Jan Ceulemans hit the woodwork.[221] David Platt's volley in the final minute of extra time, described as "nearly blind" by Richard Witzig,[222] avoided an apparently goalless draw and led to the sudden elimination of the Belgians.[223]

In 1994, a 3–2 defeat to defending champions Germany saw Belgium go out in the second round again.[40] Afterwards, the entire Belgian delegation criticised referee Kurt Röthlisberger for not awarding a penalty for a foul on Belgian Josip Weber.[224] Three draws in the group stage of the 1998 World Cup were insufficient for Belgium to reach the knockout stage.[181] With two draws, the 2002 FIFA World Cup started poorly for Belgium, but they won the decisive group match against Russia 3–2. In the second round, they faced eventual World Cup winners Brazil; Belgium lost 2–0 after Marc Wilmots' headed opening goal was disallowed due to a "phantom foul" on Roque Júnior, as Witzig named it.[41][225]

In 2014, Belgium beat all their group opponents with a single-goal difference.[66] Thereafter, they played an entertaining round of 16 match against the United States,[226] in which American goalkeeper Tim Howard made 15 saves.[l] However, they defeated the United States 2–1 in extra time.[66] In a balanced quarter-finals, Argentina eliminated Belgium, after a 1–0 victory.[228]

At the 2018 World Cup, Belgium started with five consecutive victories (including group wins over Panama, Tunisia and England). In the fourth, in the round of 16 match against Japan, they suffered a major setback in the second half by being led 0–2. However, Japan, which displayed a very open and offensive game, did not withdraw sufficiently in defense and left a lot of opportunities to Belgium who[229][230][231] turned the tide and eventually won (3–2) with goals from Jan Vertonghen and late substitutes Marouane Fellaini and Nacer Chadli. Belgium then defeated World Cup favourites Brazil 2–1 on the back of an early Fernandinho own goal and a goal by Kevin De Bruyne,[232][233] and reached the semi-finals.[234] Belgium lost to France 0–1 in the semi-finals, as France displays a style of play opposite to that of Japan by basing themselves above all on a rigorous defense, the possession left to the adversary and fast counter-attacks (which aroused criticisms from certain Belgian players on the French style of play[235]); but rebounded to win 2–0 in their second victory over England in the tournament to secure third place and the best ever World Cup result for the Belgian national team. Some players that notably contributed were captain Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and Romelu Lukaku, who were later recognised by FIFA as the tournament second best player (Silver Ball), best goalkeeper (Golden Glove) and third top scorer (Bronze Boot), respectively.[236]

FIFA World Cup record Qualification record
Year Host(s) Round Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pos. Pld W D L GF GA
1930  Uruguay Group stage 2 0 0 2 0 4 Squad Participated as invitees
1934  Italy Round of 16 1 0 0 1 2 5 Squad 2nd 2 0 1 1 6 8
1938  France 1 0 0 1 1 3 Squad 2nd 2 1 1 0 4 3
1950  Brazil Did not enter Did not enter
1954   Switzerland Group stage 2 0 1 1 5 8 Squad 1st 4 3 1 0 11 6
1958  Sweden Did not qualify 2nd 4 2 1 1 16 11
1962  Chile 3rd 4 0 0 4 3 10
1966  England Play-off 5 3 0 2 12 5
1970  Mexico Group stage 3 1 0 2 4 5 Squad 1st 6 4 1 1 14 8
1974  West Germany Did not qualify 2nd 6 4 2 0 12 0
1978  Argentina 2nd 6 3 0 3 7 6
1982  Spain Second group stage 5 2 1 2 3 5 Squad 1st 8 5 1 2 12 9
1986  Mexico Fourth place 7 2 2 3 12 15 Squad Play-off 8 4 2 2 9 5
1990  Italy Round of 16 4 2 0 2 6 4 Squad 1st 8 4 4 0 15 5
1994  United States 4 2 0 2 4 4 Squad 2nd 10 7 1 2 16 5
1998  France Group stage 3 0 3 0 3 3 Squad Play-off 10 7 1 2 23 13
2002  South Korea
 Japan 		Round of 16 4 1 2 1 6 7 Squad Play-off 10 7 2 1 27 6
2006  Germany Did not qualify 4th 10 3 3 4 16 11
2010  South Africa 4th 10 3 1 6 13 20
2014  Brazil Quarter-finals 5 4 0 1 6 3 Squad 1st 10 8 2 0 18 4
2018  Russia Third place 7 6 0 1 16 6 Squad 1st 10 9 1 0 43 6
2022  Qatar Group stage 3 1 1 1 1 2 Squad 1st 8 6 2 0 25 6
2026  Canada
 Mexico
 United States 		To be determined To be determined
2030  Morocco
 Portugal
 Spain
Total Third place 51 21 10 20 69 74 — 14/22 141 83 27 31 302 147
  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place   

UEFA European Championship

[edit]
Main article: Belgium at the UEFA European Championship
Scheme of football pitch with the line-ups of a red team in 4-4-2 formation against a white team in 5-3-2 formation
Line-ups of the Euro 1980 final: Belgium (red) against West Germany

With only seven successful qualification campaigns out of seventeen, Belgium's performance in the European Championship does not compare to their World Cup record, yet it holds the highest record compare to their World Cup performance. Belgium has hosted or co-hosted the event twice; they were chosen to accommodate the UEFA Euro 1972 from three candidates,[m] and hosted UEFA Euro 2000 with the Netherlands.[46]

At Euro 1972, Belgium finished third after losing 1–2 against West Germany and beating Hungary 2–1.[31] The team's best continental result is their second place at Euro 1980 in Italy. By finishing as group winners, Belgium reached the final, to face West Germany. The West German Horst Hrubesch scored first, but René Vandereycken equalised courtesy of a penalty. Two minutes before the regular playing time ended, Hrubesch scored again denying Belgium a first European titles.[36]

At Euro 1984, in their last and decisive group match against Denmark, the Belgian team took a 0–2 lead, but the Danes won the match 3–2.[45] Sixteen years later, Belgium automatically reappeared at UEFA's national team tournament as co-hosts. After winning the Euro 2000 opener against Sweden 2–1,[238] two 2–0 losses against eventual runners-up Italy and Turkey eliminated the Belgians from the tournament by the end of the group stage.[46]

In spite of winning with broad margins against the Republic of Ireland (3–0) and Hungary (0–4) at Euro 2016,[239][240] Belgium exited in the quarter-finals. As during the tournament qualifiers, Wales defeated Belgium. This time by 3–1.[70]

UEFA European Championship record Qualifying record
Year Host(s) Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pos. Pld W D L GF GA
1960  France Did not enter Did not enter
1964  Spain Did not qualify Preliminary round 2 0 0 2 2 4
1968  Italy 2nd 6 3 1 2 14 9
1972  Belgium Third place 3rd 2 1 0 1 3 3 Squad Quarter-finals 8 5 2 1 13 4
1976  Yugoslavia Did not qualify Quarter-finals 8 3 2 3 7 10
1980  Italy Runners-up 2nd 4 1 2 1 4 4 Squad 1st 8 4 4 0 12 5
1984  France Group stage 6th 3 1 0 2 4 8 Squad 1st 6 4 1 1 12 8
1988  West Germany Did not qualify 3rd 8 3 3 2 16 8
1992  Sweden 3rd 6 2 1 3 7 6
1996  England 3rd 10 4 3 3 17 13
2000  Belgium
 Netherlands 		Group stage 12th 3 1 0 2 2 5 Squad Qualified as hosts
2004  Portugal Did not qualify 3rd 8 5 1 2 11 9
2008  Austria
  Switzerland 		5th 14 5 3 6 14 16
2012  Poland
 Ukraine 		3rd 10 4 3 3 21 15
2016  France Quarter-finals 6th 5 3 0 2 9 5 Squad 1st 10 7 2 1 24 5
2020  Europe 5th 5 4 0 1 9 3 Squad 1st 10 10 0 0 40 3
2024  Germany Round of 16 10th 4 1 1 2 2 2 Squad 1st 8 6 2 0 22 4
2028  United Kingdom
 Ireland 		To be determined To be determined
Total Runners-up 7/17 26 12 3 11 33 30 — 7/17 122 65 28 29 232 119
  Champions    Runners-up    Third place/Semi-finalists

UEFA Nations League

[edit]
UEFA Nations League
League phase Finals
Season LG Grp Pos. Pld W D L GF GA P/R RK Year Host(s) Pos. Pld W D L GF GA Squad
2018–19 A 2 2nd 4 3 0 1 9 6 Same position 5th 2019  Portugal Did not qualify
2020–21 A 2 1st 6 5 0 1 16 6 Same position 4th 2021  Italy 4th 2 0 0 2 3 5 Squad
2022–23 A 4 2nd 6 3 1 2 11 8 Same position 7th 2023  Netherlands Did not qualify
2024–25 A 2 In progress 2025 To be determined
Total 16 11 1 4 36 20 4th 1/3 2 0 0 2 3 5 —
  Champions    Runners-up    Third place    Fourth place   

Olympic Games

[edit]
Main article: Belgium at the Olympics
Aerial play with two Belgian players and the Luxembourg keeper trying to touch the ball
Hectic phase during the goal-rich Olympic win against Luxembourg in 1928 (5–3)

Football tournament for senior men's national teams took place in six Summer Olympic between 1908 and 1936. The Belgian squad participated in all three Football at the Summer Olympic in the 1920s and kept the gold medal at home at the 1920 edition.[19][241] Apart from the proper national team, two other Belgian delegations appeared at the Olympic. At the 1900 Summer Olympic, a Belgian representation with mainly students won bronze,[242] and at the 2008 edition, Belgium's U-23 selection placed fourth.[55]

Belgium's 1920 Olympic squad was given a bye into the quarter-finals, where they won 3–1 against Spain, and reached the semi-finals, where they beat the Netherlands 3–0. In the first half of the finals against Czechoslovakia, the Belgians led 2–0.[241] Forward Robert Coppée converted a disputed early penalty, and the action in which attacker Henri Larnoe doubled the score was also a matter of debate.[21][191] After the dismissal of the Czechoslovak left-back Karel Steiner, the discontented visitors left the pitch in the 40th minute. Afterwards, the away team reported their reasons for protest to the Olympic organisation;[21] these complaints were dismissed and the Czechoslovaks were disqualified.[22] The 2–0 score was allowed to stand and Belgium were crowned the champions.[22]

Summer Olympic Games
Year Host(s) Round Pld W D L GF GA Squad
1896  Greece No Olympic football tournament
1900  France Bronze medal 1 0 0 1 2 6 Squad
1904 to 1912 Did not enter
1920  Belgium Gold medal 3 3 0 0 8 1 Squad
1924  France Round of 16 1 0 0 1 1 8 Squad
1928  Netherlands Quarter-finals 3 1 0 2 9 12 Squad
1932  United States No Olympic football tournament
1936 to 1976 Did not enter
1980 to 1984 Did not qualify
1988  South Korea Did not enter
1992 to present See Belgium national under-23 team
Total Gold medal 14 7 0 7 27 37 —
  Gold medal    Silver medal    Bronze medal  

Olympic Games has been an under-23 tournament since 1992 (with three players of over 23 years of age allowed in the squad).

Honours

[edit]
Belgium's 1920 Olympic champions, and one of the 154 gold medals awarded at these Games of the VII Olympic

Major competitions

[edit]

Friendly

[edit]

Awards

[edit]

Summary

[edit]
Competition 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Total
FIFA World Cup 0 0 1 1
Olympic Games 1 0 1 2
UEFA European Championship 0 1 1 2
UEFA Nations League 0 0 0 0
Total 1 1 3 5

See also

[edit]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Caps and goals against Romania on 15 (actually 14) November 2012, against Luxembourg on 26 May 2014 and against Czech Republic on 5 June 2017 were counted by RBFA but are not officially recognised by FIFA – the former two due to an excessive number of substitutions according to the Laws of the Game,[164][165][166] the latter because the Belgian and Czech football federations were too late in requesting an official match.[167]
  2. ^ Dutch: Belgisch nationaal voetbalelftal
    French: Équipe nationale belge de football
    German: Belgische Fußballnationalmannschaft
  3. ^ UBSFA was the acronym for the organisation's French name: Union Belge des Sociétés de Football-Association.
    In 1920 it received the title of "Royal Union" for its 25th year of existence, and hence became the Royal Belgian Football Association.[16]
  4. ^ Even in their last match of 1980, against Cyprus on 21 December, Belgium played in an Adidas outfit.[99] This suggests that Admiral's sponsorship started in 1981, contrary to what the 2014 article stated.
  5. ^ The timeline in the 2014 overview article stated the switch from Diadora to Nike happened in 1998. However, the 1999 article focused on this kit sponsor change which took place in mid-1999.
  6. ^ This streak started in September 2016 and does not include the friendly win against Czech Republic on 5 June 2017; this match is not FIFA-recognised since the Belgian and Czech football federations were too late in asking that it would be official.[167]
  7. ^ Due to the Israel–Hamas war, Israel are required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice.[169]
  8. ^ The interim managers were Louis Nicolay and Franky Vercauteren.[171][172]
  9. ^ Prime individual awards include being elected the season's or year's best player of a competition; prime team awards equal winning a competition. National top divisions, main national cup competitions, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League are considered.
  10. ^ Note that the RBFA does not count caps earned in the Belgian seven Summer Olympics matches, and that it does include Belgium's friendlies on 14 November 2012, 26 May 2014 and 5 June 2017 that are FIFA-unrecognised.[216]
  11. ^ Note that the RBFA does not count caps earned in the Belgian seven Summer Olympics matches, and that it does include Belgium's friendlies on 14 November 2012, 26 May 2014 and 5 June 2017 that are not FIFA-recognised – the former two due to an excessive number of substitutions according to the Laws of the Game,[166] the latter because of a lacking official request.[167]
  12. ^ FIFA's initial match statistics showed 16 saves, and many news sources continue to use this number. The official FIFA statistics were updated on 5 July 2014 to show 15 saves.[227]
  13. ^ The other bids were from England and Italy,[237] whose teams did not reach the semi-finals.[31]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f "The FIFA/Coca-Cola Men's World Ranking". FIFA. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
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Bibliography

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Further reading

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  • Aerts, Bart; Buyse, Frank; Colin, François; Cornez, Pierre; Decoster, Gilles; Deferme, Dirk; et al. (2013). De Rode Duivels. Het officiële boek [The Red Devils. The official book] (in Dutch). Veurne: Uitgeverij Kannibaal. ISBN 978-94-91376-66-5.
  • Colin, François (2014). De Rode Duivels 1900–2014 [The Red Devils 1900–2014] (in Dutch). Veurne: Uitgeverij Kannibaal. ISBN 978-94-91376-77-1.
  • Hubert, Christian (1994). De Montevideo à Orlando [From Montevideo to Orlando] (in French). Brussels: Labor. ISBN 978-2-8040-1009-6.
  • Hubert, Christian (2006). Le siècle des Diables Rouges [The century of the Red Devils] (in French). Brussels: Luc Pire. ISBN 978-2-87415-684-7.
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