Belgium World Cup 2022: Players, fixtures, group

The members of Belgium’s World Cup squad have long been touted as the country’s “golden generation.” They arrive at Qatar ranked No. 2 in the FIFA rankings and hope to fulfill their promise and improve on their third-place finish at Russia in 2018—their best result to date. With Premier League royalty like Kevin De Bruyne, Brighton’s plucky Leandro Trossard, Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku, and Read Madrid’s Eden Hazard in the squad, Roberto Martinez’s men should be ready to prove their credentials as tournament dark horses among favorites like Brazil, Spain, France, and Germany. Group F rivals Croatia could challenge them for top spot, but the Red Devils should have enough quality to get the job done against Canada and Morocco.

Final 26-man Belgium World Cup 2022 roster

Star players in the Belgium World Cup squad

When fit, Romelu Lukaku is the focal point of Belgium’s attack. Desite Eden Hazard’s so-so form for Real Madrid at times, he’s a star on the national team, which he also captains. Winger Leandro Trossard is having a standout year in the Premier League with Brighton and will hope to bring that form to Qatar, while Yannick Carrasco is another threat on the wings for the Red Devils. The man pulling all the strings in midfield remains Kevin De Bruyne, who is indispensable for his club side, Manchester City, and country. 

Who is Belgium’s head coach?

Following coaching stints at various levels of the English game with Swansea, Wigan, and Everton, Roberto Martinez took up the helm of Belgium’s national team in 2016. The Spaniard is a former player who demands much from his squads and favors a possession-based style where his technical midfielders like Kevin De Bruyne can control the tempo of the game. Could this be the year Martinez helps the national team to fulfill the promise of the golden generation?  

Belgium World Cup 2022 fixtures and match schedule

Belgium vs. Canada

The Red Devils should back themselves to kickoff their World Cup campaign with three points in their Group F opener. Especially as Canada may be without its star wingback Alphonso Davies, who’s still battling a hamstring strain he picked up with Bayern Munich. The downside is they’ll have to do it without the injured Romelu Lukaku.  

Belgium vs. Morocco

The fullback duo of Bayern Munich’s Noussair Mazraoui and PSG’s Achraf Hakimi offer Morocco great threat down the flanks. Paired with Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech in the midfield, Belgium certainly has to be careful not to underestimate the Moroccans. Both teams could be fruitful in front of goal, but we’d bank on the Red Devils to come out on top after 90 minutes.

Croatia vs. Belgium

Belgium hopes to have its big man upfront fit and firing for this crucial Group F clash that could determine who tops the group and gets a more favorable draw in the Round of 16. Belgium will also have to work hard to try and contain Spurs winger Ivan Perišić and central midfielder Luka Modrić—two experienced operators and deadly in front of goal.

Belgium national team strengths & weaknesses

Belgium will want to improve on their third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, which will require getting the most from their best players. The Red Devils have brought a solid squad to Qatar, boasting both experienced veterans forged in Europe’s best leagues and several World Cup and European Championship tournaments and a mix of more youthful exuberance to add spark when needed late in the game. 

Strengths

Head coach Roberto Martinez will want Romelu Lukaku back fit for Belgium’s wide players and midfielders to feed chances to, while Eden Hazard’s lack of playing time at Real Madrid isn’t too much of a concern if he’s fresh for the World Cup. You can’t heap enough praise on Kevin De Bruyne for the way he engineers success at Manchester City, and you expect the Belgian to do the same in Qatar. The experience of Thibaut Courtois in goal and Toby Alderweireld anchoring their defense will be crucial to keeping control of the scoreline and allowing the attacking players the freedom to do damage at the other end.

Weaknesses

Belgium was once an underdog at international tournaments, overlooked for the flair of Brazil or Germany’s sheer dominance. But no longer. The stars are there to see, and opposition teams will have pored over the footage to find their Achilles’ heel. If they have one, it might be Martinez’s over-reliance on the tried-and-trusted old guard: 11 out of the 26 players are over 30 years old now. And Belgium likes to play a high line, a risky gamble for certain players just past their prime years. The group games will show whether this group of players can be greater than the sum of its parts or whether it shows old flaws and an inability to shift tactics when the going gets tough.

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