The “golden generation” of Belgium gets what appears to be its last chance to put on a World Cup show as Roberto Martinez leads the Red Devils into the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Kevin de Bruyne and his international cohorts shouldered high expectations as young stars, leading Belgium into a new age of international play. They achieved a quarterfinal result in the 2014 World Cup, falling to Argentina 1-0, and finished third at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the nation’s best-ever finish at a World Cup by far.
Now ranked second in the world, Belgium are still often undervalued amongst many of the other established World Cup powers such as Brazil, France, Spain, and Germany.
This team is deep and dangerous in attack, but they have a number of weaknesses that teams could exploit. Still, Martinez is a top coach who knows how to squeeze the most out of his players by putting them in the best position to succeed.
MORE: Closer look at Belgium’s group opponents at the FIFA World Cup
Projected Belgium World Cup squad 2022
Martinez has until Friday, October 21 to submit an official preliminary list of 35-55 players to FIFA, from which he will select his final 26-man roster for Qatar by Monday, November 14.
Based on World Cup qualifying squads and friendly rosters over the past year, these are the names most likely to be on Martinez’s preliminary list.
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Thibaut Courtois | Real Madrid (SPA) | 30 | 96 |
| GK | Simon Mignolet | Club Brugge (BEL) | 34 | 35 |
| GK | Koen Casteels | Wolfsburg (GER) | 30 | 4 |
| GK | Matz Sels | Strasbourg (FRA) | 30 | 2 |
| DEF | Toby Alderweireld | Royal Antwerp (BEL) | 33 | 123 |
| DEF | Jan Vertonghen | Anderlecht (BEL) | 35 | 141 |
| DEF | Thomas Meunier | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | 31 | 58 |
| DEF | Timothy Castagne | Leicester City (ENG) | 26 | 25 |
| DEF | Dedryck Boyata | Club Brugge (BEL) | 31 | 31 |
| DEF | Jason Denayer | Al Ahli (UAE) | 27 | 35 |
| DEF | Zeno Debast | Anderlecht (BEL) | 18 | 2 |
| DEF | Arthur Theate | Stade Rennes (FRA) | 22 | 3 |
| DEF | Brandon Mechele | Club Brugge (BEL) | 29 | 3 |
| DEF | Wout Faes | Leicester City (ENG) | 24 | 1 |
| MID | Kevin de Bruyne | Manchester City (ENG) | 31 | 93 |
| MID | Youri Tielemans | Leicester City (ENG) | 54 | 5 |
| MID | Leander Dendoncker | Aston Villa (ENG) | 27 | 29 |
| MID | Amadou Onana | Everton (ENG) | 21 | 2 |
| MID | Yannick Carrasco | Atletico Madrid (SPA) | 29 | 59 |
| MID | Axel Witsel | Atletico Madrid (SPA) | 33 | 126 |
| MID | Charles de Ketelaere | AC Milan (ITA) | 21 | 10 |
| MID | Dennis Praet | Leicester City (ENG) | 28 | 15 |
| MID | Adnan Januzaj | Sevilla (SPA) | 27 | 15 |
| MID | Albert Lokonga | Arsenal (ENG) | 22 | 1 |
| MID | Leandro Trossard | Brighton (ENG) | 27 | 21 |
| MID | Hans Vanaken | Club Brugge (BEL) | 30 | 22 |
| MID | Thorgan Hazard | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | 29 | 45 |
| FWD | Romelu Lukaku | Inter Milan (ITA) | 29 | 102 |
| FWD | Michy Batshuayi | Fenerbahce (TUR) | 29 | 47 |
| FWD | Christian Benteke | D.C. United (USA) | 31 | 45 |
| FWD | Dries Mertens | Galatasaray (TUR) | 35 | 106 |
| FWD | Eden Hazard | Real Madrid (SPA) | 31 | 122 |
| FWD | Divock Origi | AC Milan (ITA) | 27 | 32 |
| FWD | Jeremy Doku | Stade Rennes (FRA) | 20 | 10 |
| FWD | Yari Verschaeren | Anderlecht (BEL) | 21 | 7 |
| FWD | Lois Openda | Lens (FRA) | 22 | 4 |
| FWD | Dodi Lukebakio | Hertha BSC (GER) | 25 | 5 |
| FWD | Dante Vanzeir | Union SG (BEL) | 24 | 1 |
Final 26-man Belgium World Cup roster
Most players who will play for Belgium at the World Cup are already assured of their place in the squad, barring only an injury before the tournament begins.
There are a few choices for Martinez to make between young up-and-coming players, but for the most part his group is set with top talent from across the Big 5 European leagues.
There are a few injuries to track. Most notably, star striker Romelu Lukaku, who only just worked his way back to full fitness with Inter Milan, has again fallen victim to a muscle injury and will not play again for the Italian club before the break for the World Cup, according to a report by Gazzetta dello Sport. The Italian publication says there’s still a chance he proves fit for the World Cup, but his status remains a question and his fitness a race against time.
Additionally, full-back Thomas Meunier suffered a broken cheekbone on October 16 on club duty, leaving his status for the World Cup in doubt. Borussia Dortmund stated that he would not play again for the club until after the World Cup, but he has not yet been ruled out of the international tournament.
Here’s a look at a plausible final 26 Martinez could select, assuming all players are fit and ready.
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Thibaut Courtois | Real Madrid (SPA) | 30 | 96 |
| GK | Simon Mignolet | Club Brugge (BEL) | 34 | 35 |
| GK | Koen Casteels | Wolfsburg (GER) | 30 | 4 |
| DEF | Toby Alderweireld | Royal Antwerp (BEL) | 33 | 123 |
| DEF | Jan Vertonghen | Anderlecht (BEL) | 35 | 141 |
| DEF | Thomas Meunier | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | 31 | 58 |
| DEF | Timothy Castagne | Leicester City (ENG) | 26 | 25 |
| DEF | Dedryck Boyata | Club Brugge (BEL) | 31 | 31 |
| DEF | Jason Denayer | Al Ahli (UAE) | 27 | 35 |
| DEF | Zeno Debast | Anderlecht (BEL) | 18 | 2 |
| MID | Kevin de Bruyne | Man City (ENG) | 31 | 93 |
| MID | Hans Vanaken | Club Brugge (BEL) | 30 | 22 |
| MID | Youri Tielemans | Leicester City (ENG) | 54 | 5 |
| MID | Leander Dendoncker | Aston Villa (ENG) | 27 | 29 |
| MID | Amadou Onana | Everton (ENG) | 21 | 2 |
| MID | Yannick Carrasco | Atletico Madrid (SPA) | 29 | 59 |
| MID | Axel Witsel | Atletico Madrid (SPA) | 33 | 126 |
| MID | Charles de Ketelaere | AC Milan (ITA) | 21 | 10 |
| MID | Leandro Trossard | Brighton (ENG) | 27 | 21 |
| MID | Thorgan Hazard | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | 29 | 45 |
| FWD | Romelu Lukaku | Inter Milan (ITA) | 29 | 102 |
| FWD | Michy Batshuayi | Fenerbahce (TUR) | 29 | 47 |
| FWD | Dries Mertens | Galatasaray (TUR) | 35 | 106 |
| FWD | Eden Hazard | Real Madrid (SPA) | 31 | 122 |
| FWD | Divock Origi | AC Milan (ITA) | 27 | 32 |
| FWD | Jeremy Doku | Stade Rennes (FRA) | 20 | 10 |
Belgium national team stars, strengths & weaknesses
Hoping to follow up on their third-place finish four years ago and defend their No. 2 FIFA world ranking, Belgium has a number of star players and attacking talent to lean on.
Still, there are many holes in this player pool, and Martinez will need to work hard to find the right mix, especially at the back.
Stars
The unquestioned superstar of the Belgium national team is Kevin de Bruyne, who is considered one of the best players in the world. His creativity is world class, with every pass imaginable at his disposal. He can score goals too, and will be looking to lead a powerful strike force.
Alongside de Bruyne is Romelu Lukaku, who enjoyed a return to form at Inter before injuries ground the start of his club season to a halt. Still, Martinez knows how to get the best of the dangerous forward who has been streaky throughout his career.
Other star names in the Belgium squad include Eden Hazard, who has fallen into obscurity at Real Madrid, and Thibaut Courtois, who was the star of the Champions League final last season and has become one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Charles de Ketelaere is another name to watch, starring in his first season at AC Milan.
Not many teams have star names amongst the coaching staff, but Belgium boasts former France and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry as one of its assistant managers on staff behind Martinez.
Strengths
This team has an outrageous amount of creative talent. The presence of De Bruyne alone is a nightmare for teams, but throw in Hazard, Lukaku, and De Ketelaere and Youri Tielemans, and this team will produce goals.
Also, goalkeeping is a position of strength for Belgium. Courtois is by all accounts the best goalkeeper in the world at the moment, while backup Simon Mignolet is also in good form with Club Brugge in Champions League play.
Weaknesses
Age at the back is a major problem for this Belgium side. Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are as experienced and solid as they come, but they’re 33 and 35 years old respectively, and have both gone back to Belgium to finish their club careers.
There is very little young talent coming through to replace them, meaning the two veterans will likely start for Belgium at the back when healthy.
Belgium World Cup group
The Red Devils have been drawn into Group F. Only the top two teams in each group will advance.
Belgium are the highest-ranked team in Group F and will open the tournament against John Herdman and Canada, before taking on African powers Morocco and 2018 finalists Croatia.
With a knockout place possibly already in hand, the final game against Croatia could be a solid litmus test of how ready Belgium is for their chase of World Cup glory.
World Cup Group F fixtures and match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Wed, Nov. 23 | Morocco vs. Croatia | 5 a.m. | Al Bayt |
| Wed, Nov. 23 | Belgium vs. Canada | 2 p.m. | Ahmad Bin Ali |
| Sun, Nov. 27 | Belgium vs. Morocco | 8 a.m. | Al Thumama |
| Sun, Nov. 27 | Croatia vs. Canada | 11 a.m. | Khalifa Int’l |
| Thurs, Dec. 1 | Croatia vs. Belgium | 10 a.m. | Ahmad Bin Ali |
| Thurs, Dec. 1 | Canada vs. Morocco | 10 a.m. | Al Thumama |
Belgium World Cup squad, lineup
Finding the third member to play alongside Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen will be the biggest challenge for manager Martinez at the 2022 World Cup. Jason Denayer looks the leading candidate, although Dedryck Boyata or even Zeno Debast could make a case. Thomas Meunier is injured, having suffered a broken cheekbone on October 16 with Borussia Dortmund, leaving his status for the World Cup in doubt.
Additionally, the midfield combination will be key. Premier League duo Youri Tielemans and Leander Dendoncker look the most likely to start, but veteran Axel Witsel could still push for significant time, and Amadou Onana is also an option.
Romelu Lukaku is the starter up the middle when healthy, but he has also been used out wide by Martinez in past international tournaments, and could be deployed on the wing with Michy Batshuayi leading the way centrally. Finally, using Kevin de Bruyne correctly is a big key for Martinez, likely deployed as part of the front line, asking for him to cut in centrally while the wing-back overlaps.
Belgium projected starting XI vs Canada (3-4-3):
Courtois (GK) — Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Denayer — Castagne, Tielemans, Dendoncker, Meunier — Hazard, Lukaku, De Bruyne.
Can Belgium replace players on World Cup roster?
Once the final 26-man roster is official, participating teams at the World Cup can only make changes before the first game of the tournament, and only in the case of extraordinary circumstances.
According to the official tournament rules, “a player listed on the final list may only be replaced in the event of serious injury or illness up until 24 hours before the start of his team’s first match.”
The team in question would need to submit a medical report to FIFA and if the world governing body determines “the injury or illness is sufficiently serious to prevent the player from taking part in the FIFA World Cup” then the replacement will be allowed.
The replacement player must come from the preliminary list of players submitted to FIFA in October.