Belgium 2026 World Cup Preview - Favourable Draw for the Red Devils
Belgium heads into the 2026 World Cup as a dangerous dark horse, boasting a squad with immense experience and depth. Led by Rudi Garcia, the Red Devils have been given a favourable Group G draw against Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand, making them strong favourites to top their group. Key players like Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku add world-class talent, though concerns remain over Lukaku’s fitness and central defence. Bookmakers tip Belgium to reach the quarter-finals, where Spain could likely end their campaign.
- Belgium have been given a favourable draw at the World Cup
- The Red Devils have a clear path from Group G to the quarter-finals
- Squad features experienced stars led by Kevin De Bruyne
Belgium are two-time World Cup semi-finalists and will fancy their chances of repeating the feat in 2026. Experience is no issue for Rudi Garcia's side, four veterans in the squad earning over 100 caps.
- World Cup History
- The Road to 2026 - Depay Leads the Way in the Qualifiers
- The Manager - Rudi Garcia
- The Squad - World Class Spine
- Players to Watch
- Group G Schedule and Path to the Final
- 2026 World Cup Winner Odds
- Group G - Straight Forecast Odds
- Belgium Stage of Elimination Betting Odds
- Lukaku Trio Tipped to Fight it Out
The Golden Generation tag has hung heavily around the Belgian's necks in recent years.
With the pressure easing and the media focusung on favourites like Spain and France, the Red Devils have a great draw in North America and are a dangerous dark horse.
World Cup History
Belgium's first deep run came at Mexico 1986 when a team spearheaded by Enzo Scifo edged past the Soviet Union and Spain to reach the semi-finals. The couldn't stop Diego Maradona, the superstar scoring two goals as Argentina won 2-0 at Estadio Azteca.
The Red Devils went on another run at Russia 2018 when Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku were in their prime. Belgium won all three group games involving a victory over England, then took out Japan and Brazil to get to the semi-finals.
Roberto Martinez's side went close against France, falling to a 1-0 defeat in Saint Petersburg.
| Year | Host | Stage Reached |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Uruguay | Group Stage |
| 1934 | Italy | Round of 16 |
| 1938 | France | Round of 16 |
| 1954 | Switzerland | Group Stage |
| 1970 | Mexico | Group Stage |
| 1982 | Spain | Second Group Stage |
| 1986 | Mexico | Fourth Place |
| 1990 | Italy | Round of 16 |
| 1994 | United States | Round of 16 |
| 1998 | France | Group Stage |
| 2002 | South Korea/Japan | Round of 16 |
| 2014 | Brazil | Quarter-finals |
| 2018 | Russia | Third Place |
| 2022 | Qatar | Group Stage |
The Road to 2026 - Goals Galore in the Qualifiers
Belgium drew twice against North Macedonia in the qualifiers before a 1-1 draw in Kazakhstan took Group J to the final matchday.
Rudi Garcia's side responded by beating Liechtenstein 7-0 in Liege where Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere scored two goals each. The Red Devils ended in top spot, two points above Wales with 29 goals scored and seven conceded.
Since wrapping up a spot at the World Cup, Belgium won 5-2 against the United States and drew 1-1 against Mexico. Two more friendlies were played this month, a 2-0 victory over Croatia followed by a 5-0 thrashing of Tunisia.
The Manager - Rudi Garcia
Rudi Garcia succeeded Domenico Tedesco in January 2025, his first international appointment. The 62-year-old has brought experience to a dressing room that previously suffered from fractured relationships.
The Frenchman has had 14 games in charge with goals coming frequently, 46 scored and 13 conceded.
The Squad - Lukaku Shifts to Role Player
The Belgian squad features four players with 100+ caps - Thibaut Courtois, Axel Witsel, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku. Charles De Ketelaere and Jeremy Doku offer flair up front.
Central defence could be a weakness following the eras dominated by Vincent Kompany, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld.
Romelu Lukaku is Belgium's all-time leading scorer with 90 goals in 126 appearances. He has been battling injuries with Garcia saying: "Romelu has recovered, but he's out of shape, and I'm not sure he'll be able to start the matches.
"But he's our best striker, Belgium's all-time leading scorer. We have five weeks to get him back to full fitness so that little by little he can help the team."
Matias Fernandez-Pardo recently pledged his allegiance to Belgium and was picked ahead of Lois Openda. The 21-year-old striker played for Belgium at junior level and switched to Spain in 2025 but didn't make appearance for La Roja.
| Pos | Player | Age | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Thibaut Courtois | 34 | Real Madrid |
| GK | Senne Lammens | 23 | Manchester United |
| GK | Mike Penders | 20 | Strasbourg |
| DF | Zeno Debast | 22 | Sporting CP |
| DF | Arthur Theate | 26 | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| DF | Brandon Mechele | 33 | Club Brugge |
| DF | Maxim De Cuyper | 25 | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| DF | Thomas Meunier | 34 | Lille |
| DF | Koni De Winter | 23 | AC Milan |
| DF | Joaquin Seys | 21 | Club Brugge |
| DF | Timothy Castagne | 30 | Fulham |
| DF | Nathan Ngoy | 22 | Lille |
| MF | Axel Witsel | 37 | Girona |
| MF | Kevin De Bruyne | 34 | Napoli |
| MF | Youri Tielemans | 29 | Aston Villa |
| MF | Diego Moreira | 21 | Strasbourg |
| MF | Hans Vanaken | 33 | Club Brugge |
| MF | Nicolas Raskin | 25 | Rangers |
| MF | Amadou Onana | 24 | Aston Villa |
| FW | Romelu Lukaku | 33 | Napoli |
| FW | Leandro Trossard | 31 | Arsenal |
| FW | Jeremy Doku | 24 | Manchester City |
| FW | Dodi Lukebakio | 28 | Benfica |
| FW | Charles De Ketelaere | 25 | Atalanta |
| FW | Alexis Saelemaekers | 26 | Milan |
| FW | Matias Fernandez-Pardo | 21 | Lille |
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Thibaut Courtois; Timothy Castagne, Nathan Ngoy, Arthur Theate, Maxim De Cuyper; Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans; Leandro Trossard, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku; Charles De Ketelaere
Players to Watch
Thibaut Courtois: After friction with the previous management, Courtois is back in goal for a major tournament.
Amadou Onana: Onana provides energy in the engine room, the towering midfielder crucial in breaking up opposition counter attacks and winning aerial duels. He can drop into central defence to give Garcia another option.
Kevin De Bruyne: At 34-years-old, this is likely to be De Bruyne’s final World Cup. Still one of the most elite creators in world football, his vision, passing range, and set piece delivery means Belgium can score at any moment.
Jeremy Doku: The Manchester City winger has terrifying acceleration and a relentless willingness to take on full-backs. He scored five goals in the qualifiers, one behind De Bruyne.
Charles De Ketelaere: De Ketelaere has been playing up front for Belgium, scoring four goals in his previous five appearances. The 25-year-old could continue to be first choice up front.
Group G Schedule and Path to the Final
Belgium have been given a great draw at the World Cup and should have no problems reaching the knockout rounds.
They will play all three Group G games on the west coast against Egypt, Iran and New Zealand.
| Date | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| June 15 | Egypt | Lumen Field, Seattle |
| June 21 | Iran | SoFi Stadium, Inglewood |
| June 26 | New Zealand | BC Place, Vancouver |
Winning the group will see the Red Devils play a third placed team followed by a Round of 16 clash against the Group D winners, set to be Turkey or the United States.
Staying on that path would be likely to set up a quarter-final clash against Spain.
2026 World Cup Winner Odds
Belgium currently sit tenth in the winner market, listed around 33/1 aslongside Colombia.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Spain | 5.50 |
| France | 6.00 |
| England | 7.50 |
| Portugal | 9.00 |
| Brazil | 9.00 |
| Argentina | 10.00 |
| Germany | 15.00 |
| Netherlands | 21.00 |
| Norway | 26.00 |
| Belgium | 34.00 |
| Colombia | 34.00 |
| Japan | 51.00 |
| Morocco | 51.00 |
| Mexico | 67.00 |
| USA | 67.00 |
| Uruguay | 67.00 |
| Switzerland | 81.00 |
| Turkey | 81.00 |
| Croatia | 81.00 |
| Ecuador | 101.00 |
| Senegal | 126.00 |
| Sweden | 126.00 |
| Canada | 126.00 |
| Austria | 151.00 |
| Paraguay | 151.00 |
| Scotland | 251.00 |
| Ivory Coast | 301.00 |
| Egypt | 301.00 |
| Czech Republic | 301.00 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 351.00 |
| South Korea | 401.00 |
| Ghana | 401.00 |
| Algeria | 401.00 |
| Australia | 501.00 |
| Tunisia | 501.00 |
| Iran | 501.00 |
| DR Congo | 751.00 |
| Saudi Arabia | 1001.00 |
| South Africa | 1001.00 |
| Panama | 1501.00 |
| Iraq | 1501.00 |
| Uzbekistan | 1501.00 |
| Qatar | 2001.00 |
| Cape Verde | 2001.00 |
| New Zealand | 2501.00 |
| Jordan | 2501.00 |
| Haiti | 2501.00 |
| Curacao | 3501.00 |
Source: Stake.com and correct on 8 June 2026
Group G - Straight Forecast Odds
The Red Devils are short priced favourites to top Group G which opens the door to the straight forecast market.
| Teams | Odds |
|---|---|
| Belgium/Egypt |
2.63 |
| Belgium/Iran |
3.25 |
| Egypt/Belgium |
8.00 |
| Belgium/New Zealand |
8.00 |
Source: Bet365 and correct on 8 June 2026
Belgium Stage of Elimination Odds
Belgium have a great chance to top Group G and go deep at the World Cup. Considering the favourable nature of the draw, the odds on a Round of 32 exit seems too short.
| Stage | Odds |
|---|---|
| Group Stage |
13.00 |
| Round of 32 |
2.75 |
| Round of 16 |
3.25 |
| Quarter-finals |
4.50 |
| Semi-finals |
9.00 |
| Runner-Up |
21.00 |
| Winner |
34.00 |
Source: Stake.com and correct on 8 June 2026
Lukaku Likely to Play Limited Minutes
Romelu Lukaku leads the top goalscorer odds for Belgium despite hardly featuring for Napoli this season. A thigh injury kept him out until January before a hip injury hindered him from April.
Kevin De Bruyne, Charles De Ketelaere and Jeremy Doku could be popular picks with Lukaku set to be an option off the bench.
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Romelu Lukaku |
2.75 |
| Kevin De Bruyne |
4.00 |
| Charles De Ketelaere |
5.00 |
| Jeremy Doku |
8.00 |
| Leandro Trossard |
7.00 |
| Dodi Lukebakio |
19.00 |
| Matias Fernandez-Pardo |
17.00 |
| Hans Vanaken |
34.00 |
| Youri Tielemans |
34.00 |
| Alexis Saelemaekers |
34.00 |
| Maxim De Cuyper |
34.00 |
Source: Bet365 and correct on 8 June 2026
Verdict
I don't think Belgium will have much trouble topping Group G and Egypt should have enough quality to take second spot.
The Red Devils have been blessed with a great draw at the World Cup and have a relatively easy run to the quarter-finals. It's there that Spain should come into the picture and end their campaign.
Belgium/Egypt
Group G Straight Forecast
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