Belgium
The Road to the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Belgium’s qualification campaign was largely plain sailing. The Red Devils were the first European team to secure their spot in Russia (apart from the hosts), and won nine of their 10 qualifiers, only dropping points in a final game draw against Greece.
Coached by Spaniard Roberto Martinez, the team were also joint top scorers in qualifying with 43 goals – 15 of which came in the two games against minnows Gibraltar, while another 10 were scored against Estonia.
Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku bagged a personal tally of 11 goals during qualifying, making him the third-highest scorer of the campaign behind Poland’s Robert Lewandowski and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.
Stars
On paper, the Belgians have one of the most talented squads heading to Russia 2018. Their array of stars – many of whom play in the English Premier League – is such that even Radja Nainggolan, of AS Roma, often fails to get a look-in for a place in the team.
Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois will be the first-choice keeper in Russia, with back-up from Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet.
Vincent Kompany of Manchester City is a key figure in the Belgian defense, although the injury-prone center-back was sidelined for all but two games during the qualification campaign. If he stays fit, he’s guaranteed a place marshalling the backline in Russia.
The midfield is anchored by the imposing figure of Marouane Fellaini of Manchester United, along with Axel Witsel, who is a national-team favorite, despite currently playing his club football in China with Tianjin Quanjian.
The brightest of the Belgian’s attacking stars in undoubtedly Eden Hazard, Chelsea’s 27-year-old maestro. Hazard is an integral part of the team’s offensive options, usually playing just behind the striker, although he can also pose problems by cutting in from the left wing. Hazard scored six times and provided five assists during qualifying.
Belgium’s right flank is manned by either Thomas Meunier of Paris Saint-Germain or the technically gifted Nacer Chadli. Meunier made the position his own during the qualifiers, chipping in with five goals and seven assists.
The country’s star-studded midfield also includes the stellar Kevin de Bruyne, who joined Manchester City for a transfer fee of €74 million ($87.6 million) in the summer of 2015, and has been the Premier League’s best player this season.
The team’s forward line will be spearheaded by the prolific Romelu Lukaku, who at the age of 24 is already his nation’s all-time top scorer. If the Manchester United striker picks up an injury, it is usually Michy Batshuayi – currently on loan at German club Borussia Dortmund from Chelsea – who deputizes.
Coach
When Marc Wilmots was fired following the defeat to Wales at Euro 2016, most Belgians expected he would be replaced by a big-name European coach. So it came as something of a surprise when Roberto Martinez was appointed to the job.
While the Spaniard gained a positive reputation in charge of Swansea, Wigan Athletic and Everton, his failure to finish in the top 10 in the Premier League with the Toffees during his final two seasons at the helm left question marks over his credentials. However, the leadership of the Belgian Football Federation decided to turn to the 44-year-old, and has not looked back since. Martinez’s coaching staff also includes former French forward Thierry Henry.
The new coach has introduced a bolder style of play, and has helped to fine-tune the team’s undoubted talent and enable them to score more. They usually use a 3-1-4-2 formation under Martinez, with two anchormen – Fellaini and Witsel – behind a powerful offensive line led by Lukaku.
Past Achievements
Belgium have appeared at 12 World Cups, although arguably their performances have not always matched the talents at the team’s disposal.
Until 1986, the country had never progressed to the knock-out stages of a World Cup, although Mexico proved a breakthrough year. A talented generation of footballers that included Enzo Scifo, Jan Ceulemans, Jean-Marie Pfaff and Hugo Broos progressed to the last 16 (despite finishing third in their group), where they knocked out the Soviet Union thanks to two controversial goals in added time. The team’s run continued in the quarter-finals, when they won on penalties against Spain before finally succumbing to Argentina in the semi-final as Diego Maradona scored twice. Belgium lost to France in the third-place play-off.
Since then, Belgium have progressed to the last 16 of the World Cup on two occasions, and made it as far as the quarter-final in 2014, only to be knocked out by Argentina again.