Belgium has been drawn against Croatia, Canada, and Morocco in FIFA World Cup 2022 Group F, situating them in a group where they will feel confident about reaching the knockout phase in Qatar.
Croatia will be the main threat out of all three opponents, having managed to reach the final of the tournament back in 2018. Canada will also provide some tough opposition, with John Herdman's men comfortably finishing at the top of CONCACAF qualification whilst possessing stars such as Bayern Munich man Alphonso Davies and Lille forward Jonathan David.
Morocco fills up the final spot in the group and will look to build on their strong showing in the African Cup of Nations where they made the quarter-final stage before narrowly losing to Egypt.
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Belgium World Cup draw Group F
World Cup Group F table & fixtures
Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F1: Belgium | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
F2: Canada | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
F3: Morocco | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
F4: Croatia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Group F 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's all-time World Cup groups
Year | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | 4th Place |
2018 | Belgium | England | Tunisia | Panama |
2014 | Belgium | Algeria | Russia | South Korea |
2002 | Japan | Belgium | Russia | Tunisia |
1998 | Netherlands | Mexico | Belgium | South Korea |
1994 | Netherlands | Saudi Arabia | Belgium | Morocco |
1990 | Spain | Belgium | Uruguay | South Korea |
1986 | Mexico | Paraguay | Belgium | Iraq |
1982 | Belgium | Argentina | Hungary | El Salvador |
1970 | USSR | Mexico | Belgium | El Salvador |
1954 | England | Switzerland | Italy | Belgium |
1930 | USA | Paraguay | Belgium | n/a |
Belgium World Cup snapshot
- Current FIFA World Ranking: No. 2 (March, 2022)
- World Cup titles: 0
- World Cup appearances (last): 13 (Russia 2018)
- How qualified W-L-D: UEFA Group E winners (6-0-2)
- Record:
- 2021 W-L-D (Goals Scored/Allowed): 11-3-3 (39 / 15)
- 2022 W-L-D (Goals Scored/Allowed): 1-0-1 (5 / 2)
Belgium FIFA World Cup 2022 preview
Belgium has several players who can be regarded among the very best of recent years in Europe, with Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, and Kevin De Bruyne just some of the names who have proven their quality at the elite level.
WORLD CUP DRAW BREAKDOWNS:
Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D
Group E | Group F | Group G | Group H
The Red Devils also have an array of emerging young stars who could go on to be valuable players in the long term. Jeremy Doku is a standout, whereas Albert Sambi Lokonga is learning his craft in the Premier League at Arsenal.
- Star Players: Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois
- Players to Watch: Jeremy Doku, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Yari Verschaeren
- Players to play in WCQ: 41
- Players in Top 5 Euro leagues (% of WCQ pool): 78%
Belgium Squad
Belgium is known for its exciting brand of football, something that has made them one of the most exciting teams in the world to watch in recent years.
Regular starting XI (formation: 3-4-3):
Courtois (GK) — Alderweireld, Denayer, Vertonghen — Castagne, Witsel, De Bruyne, Carrasco — T. Hazard, E. Hazard, Lukaku.
Strengths
- Attacking quality
- Experienced group of players
- Known to dominate possession
Weaknesses
- Lack of world-class alternatives in key positions
- Eden Hazard's lack of action at Real Madrid
- Lack of silverware in the 'golden generation' phase
Name | Position | Age | Club | Apps/Goals |
Thibaut Courtois | GK | 29 | Real Madrid | 94/0 |
Matz Sels | GK | 30 | Strasbourg | 2/0 |
Simon Mignolet | GK | 34 | Club Brugge | 32/0 |
Koen Casteels | GK | 29 | Wolfsburg | 3/0 |
Toby Alderweireld | CB | 33 | Al-Duhail | 118/5 |
Arthur Theate | CB | 21 | Bologna | 2/0 |
Jason Denayer | CB | 26 | Lyon | 35/1 |
Dedryck Boyata | CB | 31 | Hertha Berlin | 29/0 |
Jan Vertonghen | CB | 34 | Benfica | 136/9 |
Zinho Vanhuesden | CB | 22 | Genoa | 1/0 |
Thomas Meunier | RB | 30 | Borussia Dortmund | 54/8 |
Thomas Foket | RB | 27 | Reims | 7/1 |
Timothy Castagne | RB/LB | 26 | Leicester City | 21/2 |
Brandon Mechele | CB | 29 | Club Brugge | 3/0 |
Axel Witsel | CM | 33 | Borussia Dortmund | 120/11 |
Kevin De Bruyne | CM | 30 | Manchester City | 88/23 |
Hans Vanaken | CM/CAM | 29 | Anderlecht | 19/5 |
Youri Tielemans | CM | 24 | Leicester City | 49/4 |
Thorgan Hazard | LW | 28 | Borussia Dortmund | 42/9 |
Yari Verschaeren | CAM | 20 | Anderlecht | 7/1 |
Dante Vanzeir | RW | 23 | Union SG | 1/0 |
Adnan Januzaj | RW | 27 | Real Sociedad | 15/1 |
Dennis Praet | CM | 27 | Torino | 14/2 |
Leander Dendoncker | CM | 26 | Wolves | 26/0 |
Alexis Saelemaekers | RW | 22 | AC Milan | 9/1 |
Nacer Chadli | LW | 32 | İstanbul Basaksehir | 66/8 |
Albert Sambi Lokonga | CM | 22 | Arsenal | 1/0 |
Dodi Lukebakio | RW | 24 | Wolfsburg | 4/0 |
Leandro Trossard | LW | 27 | Brighton | 14/2 |
Romelu Lukaku | ST | 28 | Chelsea | 101/68 |
Eden Hazard | LW | 31 | Real Madrid | 116/33 |
Yannick Carrasco | LW/LWB | 28 | Atletico Madrid | 54/8 |
Dries Mertens | ST/LW | 34 | Napoli | 103/21 |
Divock Origi | ST | 26 | Liverpool | 32/3 |
Charles De Ketelaere | CAM | 21 | Club Brugge | 8/1 |
Christian Benteke | ST | 31 | Crystal Palace | 45/18 |
Jeremy Doku | RW | 19 | Rennes | 10/2 |
Michy Batshuayi | ST | 28 | Besiktas | 41/23 |
Who is Belgium head coach?
- Manager (Nationality): Roberto Martinez (Spain)
- Date hired: Aug. 3, 2016
- Record as national team manager (W-L-D): 52-7-11
- Major titles since hire: World Cup 3rd Place 2016
- Notable victories: 2-1 vs. Brazil, 2-0 vs England, 3-2 Japan (all 2018 World Cup).
Roberto Martinez has been in charge of Belgium since 2016, presiding over 52 wins in charge of the Red Devils. His preference for free-flowing attacking football has yielded much credit, which has cemented his side's reputation as one of the most feared in international football.
Martinez's high point in his tenure came at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where Belgium produced a masterclass to defeat tournament favorites Brazil 2-1 at the quarter-final stage.
🇧🇪 @DeBruyneKev 🎯
— FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) July 6, 2020
⏪ Two years ago today, Brazil were sent crashing in Kazan by this KDB arrow 🏹#OnThisDay | #WorldCup | @BelRedDevils pic.twitter.com/vI6OvL40VA
Belgium World Cup qualifying results
Belgium finished top of their UEFA World Cup Qualifying Group E on 20 points, above Wales, Czech Republic, Estonia, and Belarus. Winning the group by five points, they struck 25 goals.
Date | Opponent | H/A | Result | Score |
24/03/21 | Wales | H | Win | 3-1 |
27/03/21 | Czech Republic | A | Draw | 1-1 |
30/03/21 | Belarus | H | Win | 8-0 |
02/09/21 | Estonia | A | Win | 5-2 |
05/09/21 | Czech Republic | H | Win | 3-0 |
08/09/21 | Belarus | A | Win | 1-0 |
13/11/21 | Estonia | H | Win | 3-1 |
16/11/21 | Wales | A | Draw | 1-1 |
Belgium's World Cup Qualifying Leaders
Category | Leader | Total |
Goals | Romelu Lukaku | 5 |
Assists | Hans Vanaken | 4 |
Appearances | Denayer, Trossard, Dendoncker | 7 |
Minutes | Denayer | 540 |