Belgium

Belgium held the FIFA world #1 ranking for nearly four years from 2018 to 2022 — plus a five-month spell in 2015-16 — without ever winning a major international trophy, earning the nickname 'world champions of friendlies'.

Romelu Lukaku's 89 international goals are more than double the tally of any other Belgian in history, and he overtook the record despite a severe left thigh injury that limited him to just 5 Serie A appearances in 2025-26.

Senne Lammens was named Premier League Transfer of the Season 2025-26 in his debut campaign at Manchester United — making him Belgium's most surprising breakout star heading into the tournament.

Belgium beat defending champions Argentina 1-0 in the opening match of the 1982 World Cup — a famous upset, though their best World Cup result against South American opposition came in 2018, beating Brazil 2-1 in the quarter-finals.

Axel Witsel, at 37, is the oldest member of the squad and plays for Girona — if he features in 2026 he joins Enzo Scifo, Franky Van der Elst and Marc Wilmots as Belgians with four World Cups, alongside teammates Courtois, De Bruyne and Lukaku reaching the same milestone.

Belgium played in one of the two very first World Cup matches in history — kicking off simultaneously with France vs Mexico on 13 July 1930 in Montevideo (they lost 3-0 to the USA).

Belgium won Olympic football gold on home soil in 1920 in the strangest final ever: Czechoslovakia walked off the pitch in protest before half-time and were disqualified — the only major final ever decided by a walk-off.