A Mix of Veterans and Youth: Belgium Announces World Cup Squad

The Belgian national team officially announced its final squad of 26 players for the 2026 World Cup finals, under the leadership of coach Rudi Garcia. The lineup notably includes a number of veteran stars and young talents.

The Belgian national team is seen as one of the "dark horses" in the tournament despite its decline in results in recent years.

The list included prominent names, headed by Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, and Thibaut Courtois, alongside Jeremy Doku and Leandro Trossard, with continued reliance on experienced players like Youri Tielemans and Axel Witsel, who is participating in his fourth World Cup with the team. The list also featured names such as Charles De Ketelaere and Alexis Saelemaekers.

Lukaku enters the tournament struggling with physical issues, but he managed to secure his spot on the roster after intensive recovery efforts. Meanwhile, Courtois and De Bruyne continue to carry the hopes of Belgium's last golden generation. The trio is among the most experienced players in the national team's history, each having surpassed the milestone of 100 international matches.

Belgium is preparing to compete in Group G, which includes Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand, starting their campaign on June 15. The team hopes to improve its results compared to the 2022 World Cup, after being eliminated in the group stage, despite reaching third place in the 2018 edition.

The list:

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois – Siene Lamens – Mike Penders.

Defense line: Timothy Castagne – Zeno Debast – Maxim De Cuyper – Koni De Winter – Brandon Mechele – Thomas Meunier – Nathan Ngoy – Joaquin Sais – Arthur Theate.

Midfield: Kevin De Bruyne - Amadou Onana - Nicolas Raskin - Youri Tielemans - Hans Vanaken - Axel Witsel.

Forward line: Romelu Lukaku – Jeremy Doku – Matias Fernandez Bardo – Dodi Lukebakio – Diego Moreira – Charles De Ketelaere – Alexis Saelemaekers – Leandro Trossard.