Belgium Defender Before the World Cup: We Are Not Just Participating, Our Goal is to Go Far

The Belgian national team's camp witnessed an atmosphere of optimism and rising confidence before the start of the 2026 World Cup, with a clear desire from the players to go far in the tournament and not just settle for mere participation.

Thomas Meunier, the Belgian team's defender, confirmed that the team enters the World Cup with great ambitions that go beyond the limits of honorable representation, emphasizing that the goal is to achieve results that reflect the size of the public's aspirations in Belgium.

Meunier's statements came after the Belgian team achieved a wide victory over its Tunisian counterpart with a score of 5-0 at the end of its preparatory friendly matches for the World Cup, where he said: "The stadium was completely full, and this is very important. Recently, we had to play some matches outside our stadiums to achieve a larger audience presence, so it is wonderful to see this enthusiasm and optimism."

He added: "I feel that everyone believes in the capabilities of this team, just as we believe in ourselves."

Regarding the team's preparations for the World Cup, Meunier explained: "The evaluation of the two preparatory matches is exceptional. We succeeded in defeating Croatia away with a score of 2-0 while relying on a different playing style, which showed the team's flexibility and ability to adapt."

He continued: "Then we achieved a big victory over Tunisia with a clean five-goal score, and the substitutes played a significant role in making the difference."

The Belgian defender concluded his statements by saying: "The team showed great seriousness during the preparation period and we did not concede any goals, and if we continue to work with this spirit, things will be very exciting."

He added: "These tournaments are the reason why we love football, as there are millions of players around the world, but only a few get the chance to participate in the World Cup, and I am excited to experience this with everything I have."

The Belgian national team is expected to compete in the 2026 World Cup within Group G, which includes the teams of Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand.