Belgium World Cup draw 2022: Group F results with Croatia, matches, fixtures, star players, roster and coach

Sean Markus Clifford

Belgium World Cup draw 2022: Group F results with Croatia, matches, fixtures, star players, roster and coach image

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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Full draw results | TV schedule | Latest news

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.

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

Sean Markus Clifford