Belgium national football team

Men ‘s association football team
This article is about the men ‘s team. For the women ‘s team, see Belgium women ‘s national football team
The Belgium national football team [ c ] officially represents Belgium in men ‘s external football since their inaugural 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 1982 to 2002 and again from 2014 onwards, have alternated with by and large unsuccessful qualification rounds. Most of Belgium ‘s home matches are played at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.

Reading: Belgium national football team

Belgium ‘s national team have participated in three quadrennial major football competitions. It appeared in the end stages of thirteen FIFA World Cups and five UEFA european Championships, and featured at three Olympic football tournaments, including the 1920 Olympic tournament which they won. other noteworthy 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 closely every year from 1905 to 1967. The team 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 football player of the twentieth century, Belgium finished in third place as hosts at UEFA Euro 1972. After that, they experienced two fortunate ages with many give players. In the first menstruation, which lasted from the 1980s to the early 1990s, the team finished as runner-up at UEFA Euro 1980 and fourth in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. In the second, under steering of Marc Wilmots and late Roberto Martínez in the 2010s, Belgium topped the FIFA World Rankings 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 rank without having won a World Cup or a continental trophy ( Spain had topped the rank in late 2008 without winning the World Cup, but had won the european title in 1964 and 2008 ) .

history [edit ]

Belgium was one of the first mainland european countries to play association football. [ 8 ] Its practice in Belgium began on 26 October 1863, after an irish scholar walked into the Josephites College of Melle with a leather ball. [ 9 ] Initially an elitist pastime, [ 10 ] during the following decades association football supplanted rugby as Belgium ‘s most popular football sport. On 1 September 1895, ten clubs for football, athletics, cricket and bicycle founded the belgian sports board Union Belge des Sociétés de Sports Athlétiques ( UBSSA ) ; [ 12 ] a year late UBSSA organised the first annual league in belgian football .
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 serial of challenge matches between Europe ‘s best football teams. After some organizational problems, on 28 April 1901, Beerschot ‘s pitch hosted its first gear tournament, in which a belgian A-squad and a dutch B-team contested the Coupe Vanden Abeele. [ 15 ] Belgium won, and beat the Netherlands in all three follow-up matches ; FIFA does not recognise these results because Belgium fielded some english players. On 1 May 1904, the Belgians played their first official couple, against France at the Stade du Vivier d’Oie in Uccle ; their pull left the Évence Coppée Trophy unclaimed. [ 18 ] Twenty days former, the football boards of both countries were among the seven FIFA founders. [ 19 ] At that time, the belgian team was chosen by a committee guide from the state ‘s six or seven major clubs. In 1906, the home team players received the dub Red Devils because of their crimson jerseys, and four years late, scottish ex-footballer William Maxwell replaced the UBSSA committee as their coach. [ 23 ] From 1912, UBSSA governed football only and was renamed UBSFA. [ five hundred ] [ 1 ] During the Great War, the national team only played unrecognized friendlies, with matches in and against France. [ 24 ] [ 25 ] At the 1920 Summer Olympics, in their first official Olympic appearance, the Red Devils won the aureate decoration on home land after a controversial final in which their czechoslovakian opponents left the peddle. [ 26 ] In the three 1920s Summer Olympics, they achieved clean results ( four wins in seven matches ), and played their inaugural intercontinental match, against Argentina. [ 24 ] however, over the follow ten, Belgium lost all of their matches at the first three FIFA World Cup final examination tournaments. [ 24 ] According to historian Richard Henshaw, “ [ metric ton ] he emergence of [ football ] in Scandinavia, Central Europe, and South America left Belgium far behind ”. Although World War II hindered international football events in the 1940s, the belgian team remained active with unofficial matches against squads of early allied nations. [ 28 ]
In the 1920 Olympic football concluding at the Olympisch Stadion in Antwerp, Robert Coppée scored for Belgium with a penalty kick. Belgium qualified for alone one of eight major tournaments during the 1950s and the 1960s : the 1954 World Cup. The day before the tournament began, the RBFA was among the three UEFA founders. [ 29 ] Dutch journalists considered the reap of the 1954 belgian team in their opener against England to be the most surprise solution of that match day, even more than Switzerland ‘s victory over the italian “ football stars ”. [ 30 ] however, Belgium were eliminated after a personnel casualty to Italy in the moment ( and survive ) group match. [ 31 ] Two bright spots in these decades were wins against World Cup holders : West Germany in 1954, and Brazil in 1963. [ 24 ] Between these, Belgium defeated Hungary ‘s Golden team in 1956. [ 24 ] The combination of failure in competitive matches, and success in exhibition matches, gave the Belgians the mock deed of “ world supporter of the friendlies ”. [ 32 ] The team ‘s performance improved during the early 1970s, under coach Raymond Goethals. Fully dressed in white, as the White Devils, [ 34 ] Belgium had their first victories at World and european Championships at the 1970 World Cup and Euro 1972. [ 35 ] [ 36 ] En road to that Euro appearance, their first, they eliminated reigning european champions Italy by winning the two-legged quarter-final on aggregate. At the end degree, they finished third base by winning the consolation pit against Hungary. [ 36 ] In 1973, the defense of a match-winning goal in their last 1974 FIFA World Cup reservation match for UEFA Group 3 cost Belgium their appearance at the finals, [ 37 ] causing belgium to become the only nation ever to miss a World Cup final round despite not allowing a goal during the qualifiers. The next two attempts to reach a major finals were besides bootless. [ 39 ] [ 40 ] Beginning with a second-place finish at Euro 1980, [ 41 ] the 1980s and the early 1990s are generally considered as Belgium ‘s beginning golden long time. [ 42 ] Coached by Guy Thys, they achieved their spot in the 1980 final with an unbeaten record in the group phase ; in the final examination, they narrowly lost the championship to West Germany with the grade 1–2. [ 41 ] Starting with the 1982 World Cup, and ending with the 2002 World Cup, the national team qualified for six straight World Cup end stages and by and large progressed to the second round. [ 43 ] During this period, managers Guy Thys, Paul Van Himst and Robert Waseige each guided a belgian selection past the inaugural round. [ 44 ] [ 45 ] [ 46 ] In addition to receiving person FIFA recognitions, [ 47 ] [ 48 ] the team reached the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup. [ 49 ] After reaching the euro 1980 final examination, they were unsuccessful at subsequent european Championships, with early exits from their appearances in 1984 and in 2000. [ 50 ] [ 51 ] During the recently 1990s, they played three friendly tournaments in Morocco, Cyprus and Japan, [ 52 ] [ 53 ] sharing the 1999 Kirin Cup with Peru in the latter. [ 54 ] The greatest talents of the belgian team during this aureate age were retired from international football by 2000. [ 55 ] At the eve of the World Cup in 2002, Belgium defeated reigning world and european champions France. [ 24 ] During that World Cup, Belgium defeated Russia and tied with co-hosts Japan and Tunisia to reach the round of 16. [ 46 ]
(in red) playing Belgiumplaying Algeria at the Mineirão at the 2014 World Cup After the 2002 World Cup, the team weakened with the loss of more veterans and coach Waseige. [ 56 ] [ 57 ] They missed out five consecutive major finals from UEFA Euro 2004 until UEFA Euro 2012, and went through an adequate act of mind coaches. [ 58 ] A 2005 acquire over reigning european champions Greece meant nothing but a belittled quilt. [ 24 ] In between, a promise newfangled generation was maturing at the 2007 european U-21 Championship ; Belgium ‘s police squad qualified for the succeed class ‘s Summer Olympics in Beijing, [ 59 ] where the Young Red Devils team finished fourth. [ 60 ] Seventeen of them appeared in the aged national team, [ 55 ] albeit without making an immediate impingement. Belgium finished in moment ( and last ) rate at the Kirin Cup in May 2009, [ 61 ] and lost against the hundred-and-twenty-fifth FIFA-ranked armenian team in September 2009. [ 6 ] After Georges Leekens ‘ second stint as national director, [ 62 ] [ 63 ] his adjunct Marc Wilmots became the caretaker in May 2012. [ 64 ] After two matches as interim coach, Wilmots agreed to replace Leekens as director. [ 65 ] Following his appointment, the team ‘s results improved, [ 66 ] such that some foreign media regarded it as another belgian golden coevals. [ 67 ] [ 68 ] [ 69 ] The young belgian squad qualified as unbeaten group winners for the 2014 World Cup finals, [ 70 ] and earned Belgium ‘s second-ever place in a World Cup quarter-finals with a four-match gain streak. [ 71 ] Belgium qualified for UEFA Euro 2016 with a match to spare in October 2015, [ 72 ] and took the top topographic point in the FIFA World Rankings for the beginning time in November 2015, [ 73 ] to stay first for five months. [ 6 ] [ 74 ] In the postdate year, Belgium could not confirm their role as foreigner at the european Championship with a quarter-final elimination by the 26th FIFA-ranked Welsh team. [ 6 ] [ 75 ] This prompted the RBFA to dismiss Wilmots. [ 76 ] In the 2018 World Cup qualifying allotment, they were seeded beginning in their group, [ 77 ] [ 78 ] and made the final tournament under spanish director Roberto Martínez, becoming the first european team besides hosts Russia to do so. [ 79 ] Belgium was eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual champions France, but won the third base plaza play-off against England. [ 80 ] On 16 November 2019, for the first gear 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. Despite the impressive form in the UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers american samoa well as being regarded as the biggest rival for the European trophy, the tournament became a complete disappointment for Belgium. Being drawn in Group B aboard Russia, Denmark and Finland, Belgium easily conquered the group with three wins. [ 81 ] [ 82 ] [ 83 ] In the hard phase, Belgium first faced reigning champions Portugal in the final sixteen and survived the daunt with a thunder strike from Thorgan Hazard to give Belgium a 1–0 acquire. [ 84 ] In the quarter-finals, Belgium once again confront old enemy Italy, but Belgium failed to take retaliation of their 2016 loss when once again falling 1–2, with goal being scored by Romelu Lukaku, ending Belgium ‘s crusade in a deplorable eminence. [ 85 ]

team picture [edit ]

Kits [edit ]

traditional red jersey worn by the team which placed third at the 2018 World Cup, and the conventionalized lion emblem ( 1948–80 ) In home matches, the team ‘s outfield players traditionally wear the color of the belgian pin : blacken, yellow and red. [ 86 ] [ 87 ] [ 88 ] Red dominates the strip and is much the sole jersey color. [ 87 ] [ 88 ] The away colours are normally white, black or both ; [ 89 ] in 2014, the team introduced a third gear, yellow kit out. [ 90 ] Their shirts are frequently trimmed with tricolores at the margins. [ 88 ] [ 91 ] Since 1981, the RBFA emblem has been the national team ‘s badge ; [ 88 ] [ 92 ] the previous badge was a yellow lion on a black shield, [ 87 ] [ 88 ] like to the escutcheon of the national coating of arms. [ 93 ] 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. [ 94 ] For their first gear unofficial match in 1901, the belgian team wore whiten jerseys with tricoloured bands on the upper arms. Around their one-third unofficial match in 1902, the option was made for a “ shirt with national colours … [ that would indicate, ] with a stripe, the issue of times every player has participated in an encounter ”. Since 1904, Belgium ‘s classic all-red new jersey plan has been altered twice. In 1904–05, the police squad concisely wore satin shirts with three horizontal bands in crimson, yellow and total darkness ; according to sports diarist Victor Boin, the shirts set “ the ugliness record ”. During the 1970s, director Raymond Goethals chose an all-white combination to improve the team ‘s visibility during evening matches. [ 34 ] [ 95 ] Six invest manufacturers have supplied the official team strip. Adidas is the producer since 2014, [ 96 ] and closed a sponsorship share with the RBFA until 2026 ; [ 97 ] it was besides the supplier from 1974 to 1980, and from 1982 to 1991. Former kit manufacturers are Umbro ( early on 1970s ), [ 95 ] Admiral ( 1981–1982 ), [ east ] Diadora ( 1992–1999 ), Nike ( 1999–2010 ) and Burrda ( 2010–2014 ). [ farad ] [ 100 ]

Media coverage [edit ]

Gust De Muynck ‘s know coverage during Belgium–Netherlands in 1931 The beginning live coverage of a belgian dissipated consequence occurred on 3 May 1931, when diarist Gust De Muynck commentated on the football match between Belgium and the Netherlands on radio receiver. [ 101 ] Later, football broadcasts were besides televised. As 60 per cent of Belgians talk Dutch and 40 per penny french, [ 102 ] commentaries for the national team matches are provided in both languages. The matches are not broadcast in German—Belgium ‘s third base official lyric. [ 102 ] During Belgium ‘s tournament appearances in the 1980s and the early 1990s, Rik De Saedeleer crowned himself the nation ‘s most celebrated football commentator with his emotional and humorous reports. [ 103 ] initially the matches were transmitted chiefly on populace television channels : the former BRTN ( now VRT ) in Dutch, and the RTBF in French. Since 1994, commercial channels such as vtm and its baby duct Kanaal 2, and VIER in Flanders, have purchased broadcasting rights. [ 1 ] The Euro 2016 round-of-16 match against Hungary was the most-watched program 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, sub-rosa documentary about the national team filmed during the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, titled Iedereen Duivel ( Everybody Devil ). [ 106 ] Cable broadband supplier Telenet broadcast an eight-part objective about individual players titled Rode Helden ( Red Heroes ). [ 107 ]

side activities [edit ]

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 team ‘s point popularity in the 2010s. During the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, a string of synergistic events called the Devil Challenges were organised. [ 108 ] The premise was that small groups of international players would do a favor in hark back for each of the five comprehensive chores their supporters completed ( “ colour Belgium red ”, “ accumulate 500,000 decibels ”, etc. ), all of which were accomplished. [ 109 ] In June 2013, the belgian national team ‘s first gear always 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 character of happening was repeated during Belgium ‘s Euro 2016 group matches. [ 113 ] occasionally, the belgian team directly supported jacob’s ladder. between 1914 and 1941 they played at least five unofficial matches of which the returns were for charitable purposes : two against France, [ 25 ] [ 114 ] and three against the Netherlands. [ 115 ] [ 116 ] In mid-1986, when the belgian deputation reached the Mexico World Cup semi-finals, the team started a project titled Casa Hogar, an idea of deputation drawing card Michel D’Hooghe. [ 117 ] Casa Hogar is a home for street children in the mexican industrial city of Toluca, to which the footballers donated partially of their tournament bonuses. [ 118 ] In August 2013, the national team supported four sociable projects through the charity fund Football+ Foundation, by playing an A-match with a asset bless on the shoulders of their jerseys and auctioning the shirts. [ 119 ] In the twenty-first hundred, several national team players acted up against discrimination. In 2002, the national police squad held its first anti- racism political campaign in which they posed with slogans. [ 120 ] A home Euro 2012 modifier was given the root of respect for diverseness in 2010 ; this UEFA-supported action was contribution of the European FARE Action Week. [ 121 ] Ex-Red Devil Dimitri Mbuyu —the first black Belgium actor ( in 1987 ) [ 55 ] [ 122 ] —was engaged as godfather, and early 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 time made by arrangement Kick It Out. [ 124 ]

nickname, logo and mascot [edit ]

After a 1905 match, a dutch reporter wrote that three belgian footballers “ work [ erectile dysfunction ] as devils ”. [ 125 ] A year late Léopold FC coach Pierre Walckiers nicknamed the players Red Devils, inspired by their jersey color, and the accomplishment of three consecutive victories in 1906. [ 24 ] Because of their white home shirts in the 1970s, they were temporarily known as the White Devils. [ 34 ] Since 2012, the team logo is a red trident ( or three-pronged pitchfork ), [ 126 ] an item that is often associated with the annoy. apart from that, the national squad has besides had four official anthropomorphic mascots. The foremost 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 jersey from 1905 to 1980. [ 88 ] [ 129 ] In accord with their name, the adjacent mascots were a loss super-devil and two fan-made modern devils ; the most holocene one, since 2018, was named “ crimson ”. [ 128 ] [ 130 ]

Supporters [edit ]

“ cycle is the traditional national fun of Belgium, but soccer is the most popular. ”

—Historian Richard Henshaw, 1979
Fans of the belgian national team display the area ‘s tricolor national iris, normally with an vehemence on the bolshevik chemical element. In 2012, local supporter clubs merged into one bombastic belgian confederation named “ 1895 ” after the initiation class of the RBFA. One class former, 1895 had 24,000 members. [ 131 ] The nationally interest in the football team has besides been reflected by the episodic presence of belgian monarch 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 deputation at the Mexico World Cup received a strong “ welcome home ”. When the World Cup semi-finalists appeared on the balcony of Brussels Town Hall, the adjoining Grand Place public square was filled with an ecstatic crowd that cheered as though their team had won a major tournament. [ 135 ]
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 adjacent five major tournaments, 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 police squad in bad times, Ludo Rollenberg was one of the most firm. He attended the team ‘s matches worldwide since 1990, missing lone the 1999 japanese Kirin Cup and two other matches by 2006, [ 138 ] and was the entirely 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 base tifo banner, sized 10.5 by 11.5 metres ( 34 by 38 foot ) depicting a satan in the national color. [ 140 ] The bearing of many belgian players in top leagues overseas, such as the Premier League, and promising results under Marc Wilmots, increased fans ‘ enthusiasm and belief in a successful World Cup crusade. [ 110 ] [ 142 ] Because of this popularity flower, two belgian monuments were decorated in national colours for the 2014 FIFA World Cup consequence ; the Manneken Pis statue received a child-sized translation of the new belgian uniform, [ 143 ] and facets of the Atomium ‘s amphetamine sphere were covered in black, yellow and red vinyl. [ 144 ]

Rivalries [edit ]

example of a Netherlands–Belgium cup meet at Rotterdam ‘s Schuttersveld pitch in 1905 Belgium ‘s independent football rivals are its neighbors the Netherlands and France, with which it shares close cultural and political relations. [ 145 ] [ 146 ] The match-up between the Belgian and Dutch team is known as the Low Countries bowler hat, 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, but lost their first FIFA-recognised contest. [ 24 ] The two national teams played each other biannually between 1905 and 1964, except during the World Wars. [ 24 ] 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. [ 15 ] [ 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 dub 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 inaugural official couple for both teams and the first official football match between independent countries on the european continent. [ 150 ] Until 1967, the sides met about per annum. [ 24 ] 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 ]

The national stadium at the Heysel Plateau in 1935 ( left ) and in 2013 numerous early and stream venues in 11 urban areas have hosted Belgium ‘s home matches. [ 24 ] Most of these matches have been played in Brussels at the Heysel Plateau, on the site of the contemporary King Baudouin Stadium —a multipurpose facility with a seating capacity of 50,122. [ 151 ] Its field besides hosts the team ‘s final trainings before domestic matches. Since 2007, most physical planning takes space at the National Football Centre in Tubize, [ 152 ] or at Anderlecht ‘s training anchor in the Neerpede quarter. [ 153 ] [ 154 ] Apart from Belgian home friendlies, at the external flush Belgium ‘s national stadium has besides hosted six european Championship matches. [ 155 ] [ 156 ] In 1930, for the state ‘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 mention became associated with the tragedy preceding the 1985 european Cup Final between Juventus and Liverpool ; 39 spectators died after riots in the then antiquate build. [ 158 ] Three years after the catastrophe, plans were unveiled for a renovation ; [ 160 ] in 1995, after two years of exercise, the modernize 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 modern stadium were cancelled definitively. [ 163 ]

stream competitions [edit ]

2022 FIFA World Cup qualification [edit ]

UEFA
Rules for classification: reservoir : FIFA Rules for classification : Tiebreakers

Records and fixtures [edit ]

As of 30 March 2021, the complete official match record of the belgian national team comprises 798 matches : 348 wins, 167 draws and 283 losses. [ bacillus ] [ 24 ] [ 164 ] During these matches, the team scored 1,430 times and conceded 1,270 goals. Belgium ‘s highest winning margin is nine goals, which has been achieved on four occasions : against Zambia in 1994 ( 9–0 ), doubly against San Marino in 2001 ( 10–1 ) and 2019 ( 9–0 ), and against Gibraltar in 2017 ( 9–0 ). [ 24 ] Their longest winning streak is 12 wins, and their highest unbeaten record is 23 consecutive official matches. [ guanine ] [ 24 ] The entire match commemorate can be examined on the following articles :
Upcoming fixtures are listed on the 2020s results page .

Results and fixtures [edit ]

2021 [edit ]

2022 [edit ]

Belgium v TBD 21–24 November 2022 2022 FIFA World Cup vQatar

Stadium: TBDBelgium vanadium TBD 25–28 November 2022 2022 FIFA World Cup vQatar

Stadium: TBDBelgium five TBD 29 November – 2 December 2022 2022 FIFA World Cup vQatar

Stadium: TBD

management [edit ]

Roberto Martínez, Belgium ‘s current head coach ( since 2016 )

Coaching staff [edit ]

Players [edit ]

stream police squad [edit ]

29 players were named to the team for the two remaining matches of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification competition, on 13 and 16 November against Estonia and Wales respectively. [ 182 ] On 9 November, both Youri Tielemans and Toby Alderweireld left the excerpt due to injuries sustained while playing for their club. [ 183 ] [ 184 ] After the equal against Estonia, with qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup now secured, a new excerpt was released. From the 27 stay, Thibaut Courtois, Jason Denayer, Eden Hazard, Simon Mignolet and Dennis Praet were dropped, while Thomas Kaminski was added. [ 185 ]

Information correct as of 17 November 2021, after the match against Wales.

recent call-ups [edit ]

The comply footballers were part of a national choice in the past twelve months, but are not part of the current team .

noteworthy [edit ]

Paul Van Himst between 1904 and 1980, chiefly attacking Belgium players were recognised as talented footballers. In the team ‘s first decade, striker Robert De Veen was very generative with 26 goals in 23 external appearances. [ 186 ] Richard Henshaw described Alphonse Six as “ Belgium ‘s greatest actor in the prewar period … [ who ] was frequently called the most nice forth outside Great Britain ”. The key actor of the triumphant 1920 Olympic squad was Robert Coppée, who scored a hat-trick against Spain ‘s Ricardo Zamora, [ 187 ] and the punishment in the final. [ 188 ] other outstanding belgian strikers in the interwar period were former top scorer Bernard Voorhoof and “ Belgium ‘s football grandmaster ” Raymond Braine, [ 55 ] [ 189 ] considered “ one of the greatest players of the era ”. Gifted players in the 1940s and the 1950s included centre-back Louis Carré and attackers Jef Mermans, Pol Anoul and Rik Coppens ; at the 1954 World Cup, Anoul reflect with three goals, [ 31 ] and newspaper L’Équipe named Coppens the event ‘s best center forward. [ 191 ] The 1960s and the early 1970s were the glory days of fore and four-time Belgian Golden Shoe Paul Van Himst, [ 192 ] late elected belgian UEFA Golden Player of 1954–2003 and Belgium ‘s Player of the Century by IFFHS. [ 193 ] [ 194 ] At the 1965 Ballon d’Or, Van Himst ranked fourth, achieving Belgium ‘s highest ever status at the European football election. [ 196 ] 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 ”. [ 197 ] In 1966, striker Raoul Lambert and defending midfielder Wilfried Van Moer joined the national team ; [ 55 ] while the UEFA praised Lambert for his skills at Euro 1972, [ 198 ] Van Moer won three Golden Shoes and equalled Van Himst ‘s fourth rank at the 1980 Ballon d’Or. [ 192 ] [ 199 ] 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, [ 47 ] [ 48 ] while FIFA recognised midfielders Jan Ceulemans and Enzo Scifo as the propel forces of Belgium ‘s 1986 FIFA World Cup team. [ 47 ] [ 200 ] In 2002, after all players of this generation had retired, [ 55 ] Marc Wilmots became Belgium ‘s top scorer at the World Cup with five goals. [ 46 ] [ 178 ] During the 10 years from 2002 to 2012 in which Belgium failed to qualify for major tournaments, another golden generation matured, many of whom gained both choice individual and team awards in extraneous european clear clubs and competitions. [ iodine ] These include defender Vincent Kompany, [ 201 ] [ 202 ] midfielder Kevin De Bruyne who is one of the best assail midfielders in the universe and his generation ; [ 203 ] and winger Eden Hazard, who has been praised as one of Chelsea F.C. ‘s greatest players always [ 204 ] and one of his era ‘s best footballers in the world, [ 205 ] in the team, he is ranked alone after Romelu Lukaku on Belgium ‘s all-time scoring leaderboard. [ 206 ] [ 207 ] Honorable mentions of this golden genesis are Thibaut Courtois, Jan Vertonghen, Dries Mertens, and Toby Alderweireld. [ 208 ] These players helped Belgium end at the third base home of 2018 FIFA World Cup, the team ‘s best consequence at the tournament and reach phone number one on FIFA ranking doubly, since 2015. [ 209 ] [ 210 ]

person records [edit ]

Most cap players [edit ]

Jan Vertonghen is Belgium ‘s most capped actor with 136 appearances. As of 13 November 2021, the RBFA lists 705 players who appeared on the men ‘s elder home team. [ 55 ] With 136 caps according to the RBFA, Jan Vertonghen has the most appearances for Belgium. [ boron ] [ 186 ] Jan Ceulemans started the most matches as captain ( 48 ). [ 211 ] Hector Goetinck had the longest career as an external football player : 17 years, 6 months and 10 days. [ 55 ]

As of 17 November 2021. 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.

clear goalscorers [edit ]

Romelu Lukaku is Belgium ‘s top goalscorer with 68 goals. Romelu Lukaku is the highest-scoring Belgium musician with 68 goals. [ boron ] [ 186 ] Those who scored the most goals in one match are Robert De Veen, Bert De Cleyn and Josip Weber with 5 ; [ 55 ] De Veen besides holds the phonograph record for the most hat-tricks with three. [ 55 ] Belgium ‘s fastest goal after the initial kick-off was scored by Christian Benteke, 8.1 seconds into the match against Gibraltar on 10 October 2016. [ 211 ] [ 212 ]

As of 17 November 2021. 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.

competitive record [edit ]

Overview

Event

1st place

2nd place

3rd place

4th place

FIFA World Cup

UEFA European Championship
0

Olympic Games

UEFA Nations League

Total

FIFA World Cup [edit ]

Belgium failed to progress past the first round of their earliest five World Cup participations. After two scoreless defeats at the inauguration World Cup in 1930, [ 172 ] the team scored in their first-round smasher matches in the 1934 and 1938 editions —but merely enough to save their honor. [ 173 ] [ 174 ] In 1954, they drew with England ( 4–4 after extra time ), [ 31 ] and in 1970, they won their first gear World Cup match, against El Salvador ( 3–0 ). [ 35 ] From 1982 until 2002, Belgium qualified for six consecutive World Cups, and in the tournament finals they advanced beyond the first round five times. [ 43 ] In the 1982 FIFA World Cup opener, Belgium beat defending champions Argentina 1–0. Their tournament ended in the second base group degree, after a polish hat-trick by Zbigniew Boniek and a 0–1 loss against the Soviet Union. [ 44 ]
United States–Belgium in 1930 was the roast first ever World Cup equal. At Mexico 1986, the belgian team achieved their then best-ever World Cup run at the clock. In the hard phase as underdogs they beat the Soviets after extra meter ( 3–4 ) ; [ 213 ] 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. [ 214 ] They besides beat Spain, in a penalty shoot-out after a 1–1 trace, but lost to eventual champions Argentina in the semi-final 2–0, and France in the third-place meet ( 4–2 ). [ 49 ] In the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Belgium dominated periods of their second-round meet against England ; Enzo Scifo and Jan Ceulemans hit the woodwork. [ 216 ] David Platt ‘s volley in the final examination hour of extra prison term, described as “ closely blind ” by Richard Witzig, avoided an apparently scoreless pull and led to the sudden elimination of the Belgians. [ 218 ] In 1994, a 3–2 get the better of to defending champions Germany saw Belgium go out in the second round again. [ 45 ] Afterwards, the entire belgian deputation criticised referee Kurt Röthlisberger for not awarding a penalty for a fetid on belgian Josip Weber. [ 219 ] Three draws in the group stage of the 1998 World Cup were insufficient for Belgium to reach the hard stagecoach. [ 178 ] With two draws, the 2002 FIFA World Cup started ailing for Belgium, but they won the critical group match against Russia 3–2. In the second turn, they faced eventual World Cup winners Brazil ; Belgium lost 2–0 after Marc Wilmots ‘ headed opening goal was disallowed due to a “ apparition cheating ” on Roque Júnior, as Witzig named it. [ 46 ] In 2014, Belgium beat all their group opponents with a single-goal difference. [ 71 ] Thereafter, they played an entertain polish of 16 equal against the United States, [ 221 ] in which American goalkeeper Tim Howard made 15 saves. [ k ] however, they defeated the United States 2–1 in extra clock time. [ 71 ] In a balance quarter-final, Argentina eliminated Belgium, after a 1–0 victory. [ 223 ] At the 2018 World Cup, Belgium started with five consecutive victories ( including group wins over Panama, Tunisia and England ). In the fourthly, in the round of 16 pit against Japan, they suffered a major reverse in the second half by being led 0–2, but goals from Jan Vertonghen and late substitutes Marouane Fellaini and Nacer Chadli led to an improbable and historical rejoinder to 3–2. belgium then defeated World Cup favourites Brazil 2–1 on the rear of an early Fernandinho own goal and a goal by Kevin De Bruyne, [ 224 ] [ 225 ] and reached the semifinals. [ 226 ] Belgium lost to France 0–1 in the semi-final, but rebounded to win 2–0 in their second victory over England in the tournament to secure third gear stead 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 late recognised by FIFA as the tournament ‘s second best player ( Silver Ball ), best goalkeeper ( Golden Glove ) and third gear top scorer ( Bronze Boot ), respectively. [ 227 ]

Belgium’s FIFA World Cup record

Qualification record

Host nation(s)
and year

Round

Pos

Pld

Squad

Outcome

Pld

1930

Round 1

11th of 13

Squad
Qualified as invitees
1934

15th of 16

Squad

2nd of 4

1938

13th of 15

Squad

2nd of 4

1950
Withdrew
Withdrew
1954

Group stage

12th of 16

Squad

1st of 3

1958
Did not qualify

2nd of 3

1962

3rd of 3

1966

1st of 4, playoff loss

1970

Group stage

10th of 16

Squad

1st of 4

1974
Did not qualify

2nd of 4

1978

2nd of 4

1982

Group stage 2

10th of 24

Squad

1st of 5

1986
Fourth place
4th of 24
7
2
2*
3
12
15
Squad

2nd of 4, playoff win

1990

Round of 16

11th of 24

Squad

1st of 5

1994

11th of 24

Squad

2nd of 6

1998

Group stage

19th of 32

Squad

2nd of 5, playoff win

2002

Round of 16

14th of 32

Squad

2nd of 5, playoff win

2006
Did not qualify

4th of 6

2010

4th of 6

2014

Quarter-finals

6th of 32

Squad

1st of 6

2018
Third place
3rd of 32
7
6
0
1
16
6
Squad

1st of 6

2022
Qualified
To be determined

Total

Third place

13/21

—

Total

133

277

141

Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place

* Draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.

UEFA european championship [edit ]

(red) against West Germany Line-ups of the Euro 1980 final : Belgiumagainst West Germany With merely five successful qualification campaigns out of fourteen, Belgium ‘s performance in the european championship does not compare to their World Cup record, yet it holds the highest read compare to their World Cup operation. Belgium has hosted or co-hosted the event doubly ; they were chosen to accommodate the UEFA Euro 1972 from three candidates, [ fifty ] and hosted UEFA Euro 2000 with the Netherlands. [ 51 ] At Euro 1972, Belgium finished third after losing 1–2 against West Germany and beating Hungary 2–1. [ 36 ] The team ‘s best continental result is their second rate 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 even act prison term ended, Hrubesch scored again denying Belgium a first european title. [ 41 ] At Euro 1984, in their last and critical group match against Denmark, the belgian team took a 0–2 run, but the Danes won the match 3–2. [ 50 ] 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, [ 230 ] two 2–0 losses against eventual runner-up Italy and Turkey eliminated the Belgians from the tournament by the end of the group stage. [ 51 ] In hurt of winning with broad margins against the Republic of Ireland ( 3–0 ) and Hungary ( 0–4 ) at Euro 2016, [ 231 ] [ 232 ] Belgium exited in the quarter-finals. As during the tournament ‘s qualifiers, Wales defeated Belgium. This time by 3–1. [ 75 ]

Belgium’s UEFA European Championship record

Qualification record

Year

Round

Pos.

Pld

Squad

Outcome

Pld

1960
Did not enter
Did not enter
1964
Did not qualify

Preliminary loss

1968

2nd of 4

1972
Third place
3rd of 4
2
1
0
1
3
3
Squad

Quarter-finals win

1976
Did not qualify

1st of 4, playoff loss

1980
Runners-up
2nd of 8
4
1
2
1
4
4
Squad

1st of 5

1984

Group stage

6th of 8

Squad

1st of 4

1988
Did not qualify

3rd of 5

1992

3rd of 4

1996

3rd of 6

2000

Group stage

12th of 16

Squad
Qualified as hosts
2004
Did not qualify

3rd of 5

2008

5th of 8

2012

3rd of 6

2016

Quarter-finals

7th of 24

Squad

1st of 6

2020

5th of 24

Squad

1st of 6

Total

Runners-up

6/16

—

Total

114

210

115

Champions Runners-up Third place/semi-finalists

Summer Olympic Games [edit ]

feverish phase during the goal-rich Olympic acquire against Luxembourg in 1928 ( 5–3 ) football tournaments for senior men ‘s national teams took place in six Summer Olympics between 1908 and 1936. The belgian squad participated in all three Olympic football tournaments in the 1920s and kept the aureate decoration at home at the 1920 edition. [ 24 ] [ 233 ] Apart from the proper national team, two other belgian delegations appeared at the Olympics. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a belgian representation with chiefly students won bronze, [ 234 ] and at the 2008 version, Belgium ‘s U-23 survival placed fourthly. [ 60 ] Belgium ‘s 1920 Olympic team was given a adieu 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 their final examination against Czechoslovakia, the Belgians led 2–0. [ 233 ] Forward Robert Coppée converted a disputed early penalty, and the action in which attacker Henri Larnoe doubled the score was besides a matter of debate. [ 26 ] [ 187 ] After the dismissal of the Czechoslovak left-back Karel Steiner, the discontented visitors left the flip in the fortieth minute. Afterwards, the off team reported their reasons for protest to the Olympic organization ; [ 26 ] these complaints were dismissed and the Czechoslovaks were disqualified. The 2–0 score was allowed to stand and Belgium were crowned the champions .
Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since 1992 (with three players of over 23 years of age allowed in the squad).

UEFA Nations League [edit ]

Belgium’s UEFA Nations League record

Year

Division

Round

2018–19
A

Group stage
5th
4
3
0
1
9
6

2020–21
A
Fourth place
4th
8
5
0
3
19
11

Total
2/2
12
8
0
4
28
17

FIFA ranking history [edit ]

reference : [ 235 ] Belgium ‘s history in the FIFA World Rankings. The table shows the placement that Belgium held in December of each year ( and the stream situation as of 2020 ), ampere well as the highest and lowest positions per annum .

Year

Position

Highest

Lowest

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

See besides [edit ]

References [edit ]

bibliography [edit ]

foster interpretation [edit ]

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.