Belgium

Belgium have appeared in 14 World Cups, establishing themselves as a consistent presence on football's biggest stage. Their best result — Semi-finals (2018) — represents the benchmark they seek to surpass in 2026.

In 1986 (Mexico), they reached the semi-finals — beat USSR and Spain. In 2018 (Russia), they reached the third place — golden Generation's best result — beat England twice. In 2022 (Qatar), they reached the group stage — golden Generation's disappointing exit.

Their most recent World Cup appearance was in 2022 (Qatar), where they reached the group stage. Golden Generation's disappointing exit. Belgium will look to build on that experience heading into 2026.

Belgium qualified through UEFA European qualification, though the Golden Generation era is fading and a transitional squad takes shape.

Belgium typically deploy a 3-4-3 formation, favoring possession with vertical threat. Under Domenico Tedesco, Red Devils operate with a moderate-tempo approach built around ball retention and positional play.

Their key strengths include technical quality, tactical awareness, and set-piece delivery. However, opponents will look to exploit golden generation aging and lack of tournament killer instinct as potential vulnerabilities.

SeatNav's Power Index rates Belgium at 8.3/10 (ranked #8 overall), classifying them as one of the tournament favorites in the Contender tier. Their strongest factor is FIFA ranking pedigree while group-stage draw difficulty represents their biggest challenge.

Belgium face a competitively balanced Group G draw against Egypt, Iran, New Zealand. With the expanded 48-team format sending the top two from each group plus the best third-placed teams through to the Round of 32, Red Devils will be targeting a minimum of two victories to secure safe passage.

Belgium will face Egypt and Iran and New Zealand for the first time in competitive football, adding an element of unpredictability to the group dynamics.