Belgium national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Belgium

Nickname(s)	De Rode Duivels Les Diables rouges Die Roten Teufel (The Red Devils)
Association	Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Domenico Tedesco
Captain	Kevin De Bruyne
Most caps	Jan Vertonghen (157)
Top scorer	Romelu Lukaku (85)
Home stadium	King Baudouin Stadium
FIFA code	BEL
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	1 (November 2015 – March 2016, September 2018 – March 2022)
Lowest	71 (June 2007)
Elo ranking
Current	3 5 (3 March 2019)
Highest	1 (16 November 2019 – 10 October 2020)
Lowest	70 (14 October 2009, 7 September 2010)
First international
Belgium 3–3 France  (Uccle, Belgium; 1 May 1904)
Biggest win
Belgium 9–0 Zambia  (Brussels, Belgium; 4 June 1994)  Belgium 10–1 San Marino  (Brussels, Belgium; 28 February 2001)  Belgium 9–0 Gibraltar  (Liège, Belgium; 31 August 2017)  Belgium 9–0 San Marino  (Brussels, Belgium; 10 October 2019)
Biggest defeat
England Amateurs 11–2 Belgium  (London, England; 17 April 1909)
World Cup
Appearances	14 (first in 1930)
Best result	Third place (2018)
European Championship
Appearances	7 (first in 1972)
Best result	Runners-up (1980)
Nations League Finals
Appearances	1 (first in 2021)
Best result	Fourth place (2021)
Olympic Games
Appearances	5 (first in 1900)
Best result	Gold medal (1920)
Medal record Men's football FIFA World Cup Bronze 2018 Russia Team UEFA European Championship Silver 1980 Italy Team Bronze 1972 Belgium Team Olympic Games Gold 1920 Antwerp Team Bronze 1900 Paris Team
Website	rbfa.be

The Belgium national football team, also known as the Red Devils, represents Belgium in men's international football games. They have been playing official matches since 1904. The team is managed by the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA), which helped start both FIFA (the world football body) and UEFA (the European football body).

Belgium has had periods of great success, especially from the 1920s to 1938, from 1980 to 2002, and again from 2014 onwards. Most of their home games are played at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.

The team has played in many big tournaments. They have been in fourteen FIFA World Cups, six UEFA European Championships, and three Olympic football tournaments. They even won the gold medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics held in Belgium! They've also beaten four world champions between 1954 and 2002. Belgium has long-standing rivalries with the Netherlands and France, playing them almost every year for a long time. Their fan club is called "1895".

During the time of Paul Van Himst, a famous Belgian footballer, Belgium finished third at UEFA Euro 1972. Later, they had two "golden ages" with many talented players. In the first golden age (1980s to early 1990s), they were runners-up at UEFA Euro 1980 and finished fourth in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. In the second golden age (2010s), they reached the top of the FIFA World Ranking in 2015 and finished third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Belgium is the only team to be ranked number one by FIFA without winning a World Cup or a major continental trophy.

History of the Red Devils

How it All Started

Belgium was one of the first countries in mainland Europe to play football, with records going back to 1863.

The first Belgium A-squad in 1901 featured four Englishmen.

On May 1, 1904, Belgium played its first official match against France in Uccle. It was a draw. Just twenty days later, the football groups from both countries helped create FIFA. At this time, a committee chose the Belgian team, usually picking players from the country's top clubs. From 1905, Belgium started playing the Netherlands twice a year, which became a big rivalry.

In 1906, the team got its famous nickname, the Red Devils, because of their red jerseys.

Olympic Gold and World Cup Challenges

In the 1920 Olympic football final, Robert Coppée scored for Belgium with a penalty kick.

At the 1920 Summer Olympics, held in Belgium, the Red Devils won the gold medal! This was their first official appearance at the Olympics.

However, in the next ten years, Belgium lost all their matches at the first three FIFA World Cup tournaments. Football was growing fast in other parts of the world, and Belgium fell behind. Even though World War II stopped many international games, the Belgian team still played unofficial friendly matches.

Belgium only qualified for one major tournament in the 1950s and 1960s: the 1954 FIFA World Cup. They surprised many by drawing 4–4 with England. But they were knocked out after losing to Italy. During these years, they had some big wins against World Cup champions like West Germany (in 1954) and Brazil (in 1963). Because they often won friendly matches but struggled in big tournaments, people sometimes jokingly called them "world champions of the friendlies."

The team got better in the early 1970s under coach Raymond Goethals. Wearing all white, they were called the White Devils. They got their first wins at World and European Championships at the 1970 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 1972. At Euro 1972, they finished third. In 1973, they missed out on the 1974 World Cup even though they didn't let in any goals during the qualifiers!

The First Golden Age

The Belgian national team in 1977.

The 1980s and early 1990s are seen as Belgium's first "golden age" in football. Led by coach Guy Thys, they finished second at UEFA Euro 1980, losing closely to West Germany in the final.

From the 1982 World Cup to the 2002 World Cup, Belgium qualified for six World Cups in a row and usually made it past the first round. In 1986, they had their best World Cup run at the time, reaching the semi-finals. They beat the Soviet Union and Spain in exciting knockout games, but then lost to Argentina, who went on to win the tournament. They finished fourth after losing the third-place match to France.

After 2002, the team struggled for a while, missing five major tournaments in a row. However, a new generation of talented players started to emerge.

The Second Golden Age

Under coach Marc Wilmots, the team's results greatly improved. Many people started calling them another "golden generation." They qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup without losing a single game.

Belgium (in red) playing Algeria at the Mineirão at the 2014 World Cup.

In November 2015, Belgium reached the top spot in the FIFA Men's World Ranking for the first time, staying there for five months! At UEFA Euro 2016, they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Wales.

At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Belgium had an amazing run. They won all their group games and then had a thrilling 3–2 comeback win against Japan in the Round of 16. They then beat favorites Brazil 2–1 to reach the semi-finals. They lost 1–0 to France, but then won the third-place play-off against England, achieving their best-ever World Cup finish (third place). Key players like Eden Hazard (captain), Thibaut Courtois, and Romelu Lukaku were recognized for their great performances.

In 2019, they topped the World Football Elo Ratings for the first time. At UEFA Euro 2020, Belgium won all their group games and beat Portugal in the Round of 16. However, they lost to Italy in the quarter-finals, ending their tournament.

At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Belgium was surprisingly knocked out in the group stage, which hadn't happened since 1998. After this, coach Roberto Martínez stepped down. In February 2023, Domenico Tedesco became the new head coach. At UEFA Euro 2024, Belgium was eliminated in the Round of 16 by France.

Team Look and Feel

Team Kits

Former crests with stylised lion emblem (1948–80) and RFBA emblem (1980–2019)

When playing at home, the team usually wears the colors of the Belgian flag: black, yellow, and red. Red is the main color of their jerseys. Their away kits are usually white or black. In 2014, they even had a yellow third kit.

Since 1981, the team's badge has been the RBFA emblem. Before that, it was a yellow lion on a black shield, like the national coat of arms. In 2019, the Royal Belgian Football Association updated its logo, keeping the crown, wreath, and Belgian colors.

For their very first unofficial match in 1901, the team wore white jerseys with colored bands on their arms. Since 1904, their classic all-red jersey has only changed twice. In the 1970s, coach Raymond Goethals chose an all-white kit to make the players more visible during evening games.

Traditional red home jersey during the 2018 FIFA World Cup where the team finished third.

Several companies have made the team's kits. Adidas has been the supplier since 2014 and also made their kits from 1974 to 1980, and 1982 to 1991.

Media and Fans

Gust De Muynck's live coverage during Belgium–Netherlands in 1931.

The first live broadcast of a Belgian sports event was on May 3, 1931, when a journalist described a football match between Belgium and the Netherlands on the radio. Later, games were also shown on TV. Since people in Belgium speak Dutch and French, matches are broadcast in both languages.

When the team became very popular in the 2010s, many events were organized for fans. These included "Devil Challenges" during World Cup qualifiers, where players did favors for fans who completed tasks. The first "Fan Day" in 2013 attracted over 20,000 supporters.

The Belgian team has also supported charity. They played unofficial matches to raise money for good causes, especially during wartime. In 1986, after reaching the World Cup semi-finals, the players donated part of their bonuses to a home for street children in Mexico.

Team Nickname and Mascot

After a match in 1905, a Dutch reporter said that three Belgian footballers "worked like devils." A year later, a manager named Pierre Walckiers officially nicknamed them the Red Devils, inspired by their red jerseys and three wins in a row. In the 1970s, when they wore white, they were sometimes called the White Devils.

Since 2012, the team's logo has been a red trident, which is often linked to devils. The team has also had four official mascots. The first was a lion, which was on their jerseys until 1980. Later mascots included a red super-devil and two modern devils made by fans. The most recent mascot, since 2018, is named "Red."

Supporters

Crowd of Belgian fans in Kaliningrad Stadium at the 2018 World Cup.

Belgian fans show their support by displaying the national flag, often focusing on the red color. In 2012, local fan clubs joined together to form "1895," named after the year the RBFA was founded. By 2013, "1895" had 24,000 members. Even the Belgian King has sometimes attended their matches since 1914.

One of the most memorable moments for fans was in 1986, when the team returned from the Mexico World Cup semi-finals. The Grand Place in Brussels was filled with cheering fans, celebrating as if the team had won the whole tournament!

After the 2002 World Cup, the team's popularity went down because they didn't qualify for many major tournaments. But with the rise of the new "golden generation" and good results, fan excitement returned. For the 2014 World Cup, the Manneken Pis statue even got a tiny Belgian uniform, and parts of the Atomium were decorated in black, yellow, and red.

Football Rivalries

Belgium's main football rivals are its neighbors, the Netherlands and France. These matches are always exciting!

Illustration of a Netherlands–Belgium cup match at Rotterdam's Schuttersveld pitch in 1905.

The games between Belgium and the Netherlands are known as the Low Countries derby. They have played 126 official matches. Belgium won the first four unofficial games, but lost their first official FIFA-recognized match. They played each other twice a year from 1905 to 1964, except during the World Wars. Overall, the Netherlands has won more games (55 wins to Belgium's 41).

The matches between Belgium and France are called le Match Sympathique ("the Friendly Match"). They have played 74 official matches. Their first game in 1904 was the first official football match between two independent countries in Europe. Until 1967, they played almost every year. As of September 2020, Belgium has a better record against France, with 30 wins compared to France's 25.

Home Stadium

The Jubilee Stadium in 1935 (left) and the King Baudouin Stadium in 2013 (right).

Many different stadiums in Belgium have hosted the national team's home matches. Most of these games have been played in Brussels at the King Baudouin Stadium. This stadium can hold over 50,000 people and is also where the team practices before home games.

The stadium was first opened in 1930 as the Jubilee Stadium. In 1946, it was renamed Heysel Stadium. After a very sad event in 1985, the stadium was renovated and reopened in 1995, named after the late King Baudouin. There were plans to replace it with a new stadium, but those plans were cancelled in 2018.

Recent Matches

As of 14 November  2024 (2024 -11-14)^[update], the Belgian national team has played 847 official matches. They have won 374, drawn 178, and lost 295. They have scored 1,516 goals and let in 1,315 goals. Belgium's biggest win was by nine goals, which happened four times (e.g., 9–0 against Zambia in 1994, and 9–0 against San Marino in 2019). Their longest winning streak is 12 wins, and they once went 23 official matches without losing.

Here are some of their recent match results from 2024:

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024 Matches

• March 23, 2024: Ireland 0–0 Belgium (Friendly) - Draw
• March 26, 2024: England 2–2 Belgium (Friendly) - Draw
• June 5, 2024: Belgium 2–0 Montenegro (Friendly) - Win
• June 8, 2024: Belgium 3–0 Luxembourg (Friendly) - Win
• June 17, 2024: Belgium 0–1 Slovakia (Euro 2024 Group E) - Loss
• June 22, 2024: Belgium 2–0 Romania (Euro 2024 Group E) - Win
• June 26, 2024: Ukraine 0–0 Belgium (Euro 2024 Group E) - Draw
• July 1, 2024: France 1–0 Belgium (Euro 2024 Round of 16) - Loss
• September 6, 2024: Belgium 3–1 Israel (Nations League) - Win
• September 9, 2024: France 2–0 Belgium (Nations League) - Loss
• October 10, 2024: Italy 2–2 Belgium (Nations League) - Draw
• October 14, 2024: Belgium 1–2 France (Nations League) - Loss
• November 14, 2024: Belgium 0–1 Italy (Nations League) - Loss
• November 17, 2024: Israel 1–0 Belgium (Nations League) - Loss

Team Management

Coaching Staff

The Belgian national team is guided by a team of over 30 staff members. The head coach is Domenico Tedesco, who is German-Italian. He is supported by assistant coaches Andreas Hinkel and Luke Benstead.

Under Marc Wilmots, Belgium reached the top FIFA ranking in 2015, and he was named Best Coach of the Year. Guy Thys led the team to great results at World and European Championships, earning him the Manager of the Year award in 1986. Under Spanish coach Roberto Martínez, the team achieved their best-ever third place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Belgian coaches have usually used traditional football tactics. In the early days, they played a "2–3–5 pyramid" formation. Later, they often used a "4–4–2 formation" in tournaments. A key strength of the team has been their use of the "offside trap," a defensive tactic.

Players of Note

Current Team Players

Here are the players who were recently called up for the national team. Information is correct as of November 17, 2024.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Koen Casteels	(1992-06-25) 25 June 1992 (age 32)	20	0	Al-Qadsiah
12	1GK	Maarten Vandevoordt	(2002-02-26) 26 February 2002 (age 23)	0	0	RB Leipzig
13	1GK	Matz Sels	(1992-02-26) 26 February 1992 (age 33)	8	0	Nottingham Forest
2	2DF	Zeno Debast	(2003-10-24) 24 October 2003 (age 21)	16	0	Sporting CP
4	2DF	Wout Faes	(1998-04-03) 3 April 1998 (age 27)	25	0	Leicester City
17	2DF	Killian Sardella	(2002-05-02) 2 May 2002 (age 23)	1	0	Anderlecht
20	2DF	Ameen Al-Dakhil	(2002-03-06) 6 March 2002 (age 23)	6	0	VfB Stuttgart
21	2DF	Timothy Castagne	(1995-12-05) 5 December 1995 (age 29)	53	2	Fulham
23	2DF	Matte Smets	(2004-01-04) 4 January 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Genk
6	3MF	Albert Sambi Lokonga	(1999-10-22) 22 October 1999 (age 25)	2	0	Sevilla
7	3MF	Arthur Vermeeren	(2005-02-07) 7 February 2005 (age 20)	6	0	RB Leipzig
8	3MF	Arne Engels	(2003-09-08) 8 September 2003 (age 21)	4	0	Celtic
18	3MF	Orel Mangala	(1998-03-18) 18 March 1998 (age 27)	23	0	Everton
9	4FW	Loïs Openda	(2000-02-16) 16 February 2000 (age 25)	26	3	RB Leipzig
11	4FW	Leandro Trossard	(1994-12-04) 4 December 1994 (age 30)	41	10	Arsenal
14	4FW	Dodi Lukebakio	(1997-09-24) 24 September 1997 (age 27)	24	2	Sevilla
15	4FW	Samuel Mbangula	(2004-01-16) 16 January 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Juventus
19	4FW	Johan Bakayoko	(2003-04-20) 20 April 2003 (age 22)	18	1	PSV Eindhoven
22	4FW	Norman Bassette	(2004-11-09) 9 November 2004 (age 20)	1	0	Coventry City

Famous Belgian Players

Paul Van Himst in 1964.

Over the years, many Belgian players have become famous. In the early days, striker Robert De Veen scored 26 goals in 23 games! Alphonse Six was known as a very skilled forward. Robert Coppée was key to the 1920 Olympic gold medal team, scoring a penalty in the final. Other great strikers from that time were Bernard Voorhoof and Raymond Braine.

In the 1940s and 1950s, players like Jef Mermans and Henri Coppens stood out. Coppens was even named the best center forward at the 1954 World Cup. The 1960s and early 1970s belonged to Paul Van Himst, who won the Belgian Golden Shoe four times and was named Belgium's Player of the Century.

Eden Hazard, former team captain and second top scoring player for Belgium.

Since 1980, Belgium has had two more "golden generations" of players. In the 1980s and early 1990s, goalkeepers Jean-Marie Pfaff and Michel Preud'homme were recognized as top keepers at World Cups. Midfielders Jan Ceulemans and Enzo Scifo were also key players. In 2002, Marc Wilmots became Belgium's top scorer at the World Cup with five goals.

The most recent "golden generation" (from 2002 onwards) includes players who have won many awards with top European clubs. These include defender Vincent Kompany, midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (one of the best attacking midfielders in the world), and winger Eden Hazard (one of his era's best footballers). Hazard is second only to Romelu Lukaku in Belgium's all-time scoring list. Other important players from this generation are Thibaut Courtois, Jan Vertonghen, Dries Mertens, and Toby Alderweireld. These players helped Belgium achieve their best World Cup result (third place in 2018) and reach number one in the FIFA rankings twice.

Most Games Played

Jan Vertonghen is Belgium's most capped player with 157 appearances.

As of September 9, 2024, Jan Vertonghen has played the most matches for Belgium, with 157 appearances. Eden Hazard has been captain the most times (59 matches).

Top Goal Scorers

Romelu Lukaku is Belgium's top goalscorer with 85 goals.

Romelu Lukaku is Belgium's all-time top scorer with 85 goals. Three players have scored five goals in a single match: Robert De Veen, Bert De Cleyn, and Josip Weber. Lukaku holds the record for most hat-tricks (four). Belgium's fastest goal was scored by Christian Benteke in just 8.1 seconds against Gibraltar in 2016.

Tournament History

FIFA World Cup Appearances

Belgium struggled in their first five World Cup appearances, not getting past the first round. They scored in 1934 and 1938 but were still knocked out. In 1954, they drew 4–4 with England, and in 1970, they won their first World Cup match against El Salvador (3–0).

United States–Belgium in 1930 was one of the first ever World Cup matches.

From 1982 to 2002, Belgium qualified for six World Cups in a row and usually made it to the second round. In 1982, they famously beat defending champions Argentina 1–0.

At the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, Belgium had their best run at the time. They were seen as underdogs but beat the Soviet Union and Spain in exciting games. They lost to Argentina in the semi-finals and France in the third-place match, finishing fourth.

In 1990, Belgium played well against England but lost in the last minute of extra time. In 1994, they were knocked out by Germany after a controversial decision by the referee. In 1998, three draws in the group stage weren't enough to advance. In 2002, they beat Russia to reach the second round, where they lost to eventual champions Brazil after a goal was wrongly disallowed.

In 2014, Belgium won all their group games by one goal. They then had a thrilling extra-time win against the United States in the Round of 16. In the quarter-finals, they were narrowly beaten 1–0 by Argentina.

At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Belgium won their first five games, including group wins against Panama, Tunisia, and England. In the Round of 16, they made an amazing comeback from 0–2 down to beat Japan 3–2. They then defeated favorites Brazil 2–1 to reach the semi-finals. They lost 0–1 to France but won the third-place play-off against England, securing their best-ever World Cup finish (third place).

UEFA European Championship

Line-ups of the Euro 1980 final: Belgium (red) against West Germany.

Belgium has qualified for the European Championship seven times. They have hosted the event twice: in 1972 and co-hosted with the Netherlands in 2000.

At Euro 1972, Belgium finished third. Their best result in this tournament was second place at UEFA Euro 1980 in Italy. They reached the final but lost closely to West Germany.

At Euro 1984, Belgium lost a decisive group match to Denmark after being 2–0 up. In Euro 2000, as co-hosts, they won their first game but then lost two matches and were knocked out in the group stage.

At Euro 2016, Belgium had big wins against Ireland (3–0) and Hungary (4–0) but were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Wales, who beat them 3–1.

UEFA Nations League

Belgium has participated in the UEFA Nations League since it started. In the 2020–21 season, they finished first in their group and qualified for the finals. They finished fourth in the 2021 finals held in Italy.

Achievements and Awards

Belgium's 1920 Olympic champions, and one of the 154 gold medals awarded at these Games of the VII Olympic.

Major Competitions

• FIFA World Cup
  • Bronze medal (1): 2018
• UEFA European Championship
  • Runners-up (1): 1980
  • Third place (1): 1972
• Olympic Games
  • Gold medal (1): 1920
  • Bronze medal (1): 1900

Other Awards

• FIFA Fair Play Trophy
  • Winners: 2002
• FIFA Team of the Year
  • Winners: 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
• Belgian Sportsteam of the Year
  • Winners: 2013, 2014

Images for kids

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  Illustration of Belgium's game against France in April 1918: some of such unofficial wartime matches served as charity fundraisers.

• 

  Gust De Muynck's live coverage during Belgium–Netherlands in 1931.

• 

  Hectic phase during the goal-rich Olympic win against Luxembourg in 1928 (5–3).

See also

• Belgium men's national football team results – unofficial matches
• Belgium women's national football team
• Sport in Belgium