Belgium squad brings De Bruyne and Courtois for 2026 World Cup

The Bélgica selection announced its 26 squad for the 2026 Copa Mundo competition this Friday morning. French coach Rudi Garcia defined the squad that will travel to the tournament hosted by Estados Unidos, Canadá and México. The group has veteran athletes who played in previous editions and new talents who gained space in European football this season.

The midfielders and attackers focus the group’s attention on the current situation in their clubs on the continent. The experienced Kevin De Bruyne, who now plays for Napoli, leads the French coach’s list of midfielders. Romelu Lukaku, De Bruyne’s clubmate at Itália, is the main reference of the Belgian attack command. The offensive sector also has the presence of Jeremy Doku, a highlight of Manchester City, and Leandro Trossard, Champions League finalist for Arsenal.

The Class of ’26 for the #FIFAWorldCup 📚 pic.twitter.com/Vdb8WvMsI1

— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) May 15, 2026

Lista of athletes called Rudi Garcia presents defensive renewal and stars in attack

The Belgian technical committee chose to mix internationally renowned players with promises that play in the local league and in major Europa centers. The goal will be led by Thibaut Courtois, from Real Madrid, recovered to captain the squad in the international tournament. The rearguard system displays new developments and young athletes who have gained space throughout the last cycle of preparation for the competition. Rudi Garcia called on defenders who work in Inglaterra, França, Portugal, Itália and in Bélgica’s own football to close the sector.

The full coach roster for Mundial features the following athletes:

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• Goleiros: Courtois (Real Madrid), Lammens (Manchester United), Mike Penders (Strasbourg)
• Defensores: Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting CP), Koni De Winter (AC Milan), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt), Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton & Hove Albion), Thomas Meunier (Lille OSC), Nathan Ngoy (Lille OSC), Joaquin Seys (Club Brugge)
• Meio-campers: Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Girona FC)
• Atacantes: Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Mathias Fernandez-Pardo (Lille OSC), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal), Dodi Lukebakio (Benfica), Diego Moreira (Strasbourg)

Belgian Histórico in previous editions of world championships serves as inspiration

The best result in the country’s history in world tournaments occurred in the 2018 edition, at Rússia. Naquela on this occasion, the Europeans beat Brasil 2-1 in the quarter-final stage before falling in the semi-final against França. The squad finished the tournament in third place overall after beating Inglaterra in the fight for the podium. The other major national campaign took place in 1986, at México, when the team stopped at Argentina from Diego Maradona. The team finished in fourth place after losing the bronze match to França.

The performance of attacking athletes in the current season gives fans hope of repeating past achievements. Leandro Trossard arrives motivated by the Premier League title fight with Arsenal and the place in the Champions League final. Do In the same way, Doku shows a great moment in Manchester City after scoring important goals in the final stretch of the English competitions. The experience of athletes like Axel Witsel, from Girona, will help support the younger players in the group.

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The official draw placed the Belgians as top seeds in Grupo G of the Fifa tournament. The team will face the teams of Egito, Irã and Nova Zelândia during the first phase of the international competition. The European team’s official debut is scheduled for June 15th against Irã. The confrontation will take place in the city of Seattle, at Estados Unidos, opening the journey of the generation led by Rudi Garcia.

The following games will serve to define the fate of the athletes on American soil before the start of the knockout stages. The coaching staff plans to start the training period with the 26 squad as soon as the European club tournaments end. The official schedule foresees preparatory friendlies before the athletes finally embark for the headquarters of the world competition.