Belgium

Belgium enter World Cup 2026 in Group G, where the early tests are Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand. Belgium have never won the World Cup, but their third-place finish in 2018 was the best result in national history and confirmed the quality of a golden generation. The current squad is shaped around Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Jeremy Doku, a core that gives the team recognizable quality in the moments that usually decide group-stage matches: set pieces, transition attacks, and pressure around the box.

For this tournament, the assignment is both tactical and psychological: start quickly, protect the middle of the pitch, and make the group feel uncomfortable before the knockout picture forms. The roster is transitioning, yet De Bruyne and Lukaku still give Belgium elite reference points. If Doku adds direct threat, they should expect to control Group G. If Belgium can turn its best individual stretches into a full 90-minute platform, the campaign has room to grow beyond a simple participation story.