Belgium World Cup squad 2022: All expected 26 players on the Belgian football team for Qatar

With Roberto Martinez leading the Red Devils to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Belgium's “golden generation” looks set to have their last chance at a World Cup squad shows. Kevin de Bruyne and his national team have high hopes as young stars to lead Belgium into a new era of international competition. Qatar FIFA World Cup fans can buy Croatia Vs Belgium Tickets from our website.

They reached the quarter-finals at the 2014 World Cup, lost 1-0 to Argentina and finished third at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the country’s best World Cup result to date.

Belgium "golden generation" looks set to have their last chance at a World Cup  squad shows
Belgium’s “golden generation” looks set to have their last chance at a World Cup show

Belgium, now number two in the world, is still often underestimated among many other World Cup superpowers such as Brazil, France, Spain and Germany.

This team’s attack is deep and dangerous, but they have many weaknesses that the team can exploit. Still, Martinez is a top coach who knows how to get the most out of his players by putting them in the best position to succeed.

Expected Belgium FIFA World Cup squad 2022

Martinez must submit an official preliminary roster of 35-55 players to FIFA by Friday, October 21, from which he will select his final roster of 26 players in Qatar by Monday, November 14.

Those names are most likely to appear on Martinez’s tentative list, based on last year’s World Cup qualifiers and friendlies.

The roster of 35-55 players

PositionPlayerClubAgeCaps
GKThibaut CourtoisReal Madrid (SPA)3096
GKSimon MignoletClub Brugge (BEL)3435
GKKoen CasteelsWolfsburg (GER)304
GKMatz SelsStrasbourg (FRA)302
DEFToby AlderweireldRoyal Antwerp (BEL)33123
DEFJan VertonghenAnderlecht (BEL)35141
DEFThomas MeunierBorussia Dortmund (GER)3158
DEFTimothy CastagneLeicester City (ENG)2625
DEFDedryck BoyataClub Brugge (BEL)3131
DEFJason DenayerAl Ahli (UAE)2735
DEFZeno DebastAnderlecht (BEL)182
DEFArthur TheateStade Rennes (FRA)223
DEFBrandon MecheleClub Brugge (BEL)293
DEFWout FaesLeicester City (ENG)241
MIDKevin de BruyneManchester City (ENG)3193
MIDYouri TielemansLeicester City (ENG)545
MIDLeander DendonckerAston Villa (ENG)2729
MIDAmadou OnanaEverton (ENG)212
MIDYannick CarrascoAtletico Madrid (SPA)2959
MIDAxel WitselAtletico Madrid (SPA)33126
MIDCharles de KetelaereAC Milan (ITA)2110
MIDDennis PraetLeicester City (ENG)2815
MIDAdnan JanuzajSevilla (SPA)2715
MIDAlbert LokongaArsenal (ENG)221
MIDLeandro TrossardBrighton (ENG)2721
MIDHans VanakenClub Brugge (BEL)3022
MIDThorgan HazardBorussia Dortmund (GER)2945
FWDRomelu LukakuInter Milan (ITA)29102
FWDMichy BatshuayiFenerbahce (TUR)2947
FWDChristian BentekeD.C. United (USA)3145
FWDDries MertensGalatasaray (TUR)35106
FWDEden HazardReal Madrid (SPA)31122
FWDDivock OrigiAC Milan (ITA)2732
FWDJeremy DokuStade Rennes (FRA)2010
FWDYari VerschaerenAnderlecht (BEL)217
FWDLois OpendaLens (FRA)224
FWDDodi LukebakioHertha BSC (GER)255
FWDDante VanzeirUnion SG (BEL)241

Belgium World Cup squad 26-man finalists

Most of the players who will play for Belgium at the World Cup have already secured their place in the squad, barring pre-match injuries.

Martinez has several options among young up-and-coming players, but his squad is mostly made up of top talent from the top five of Europe’s leagues. Football World Cup 2022 fans can buy Qatar FIFA World Cup Tickets from our website.

Martinez has several options among young up-and-coming players
Martinez has several options among young up-and-coming players

Full-back Thomas Meunier suffered a broken cheekbone while on duty with the club on October 16, which has cast doubt on his World Cup status. Borussia Dortmund says he will not play for the club after the World Cup, but he has not yet been banned from international competition.

Assuming all players are healthy and ready, here’s a plausible Final 26 Martinez to pick from.

Final 26-man roster

PositionPlayerClubAgeCaps
GKThibaut CourtoisReal Madrid (SPA)3096
GKSimon MignoletClub Brugge (BEL)3435
GKKoen CasteelsWolfsburg (GER)304
DEFToby AlderweireldRoyal Antwerp (BEL)33123
DEFJan VertonghenAnderlecht (BEL)35141
DEFThomas MeunierBorussia Dortmund (GER)3158
DEFTimothy CastagneLeicester City (ENG)2625
DEFDedryck BoyataClub Brugge (BEL)3131
DEFJason DenayerAl Ahli (UAE)2735
DEFZeno DebastAnderlecht (BEL)182
MIDKevin de BruyneMan City (ENG)3193
MIDHans VanakenClub Brugge (BEL)3022
MIDYouri TielemansLeicester City (ENG)545
MIDLeander DendonckerAston Villa (ENG)2729
MIDAmadou OnanaEverton (ENG)212
MIDYannick CarrascoAtletico Madrid (SPA)2959
MIDAxel WitselAtletico Madrid (SPA)33126
MIDCharles de KetelaereAC Milan (ITA)2110
MIDLeandro TrossardBrighton (ENG)2721
MIDThorgan HazardBorussia Dortmund (GER)2945
FWDRomelu LukakuInter Milan (ITA)29102
FWDMichy BatshuayiFenerbahce (TUR)2947
FWDDries MertensGalatasaray (TUR)35106
FWDEden HazardReal Madrid (SPA)31122
FWDDivock OrigiAC Milan (ITA)2732
FWDJeremy DokuStade Rennes (FRA)2010

Stars, strengths and weaknesses of the Belgian national team

To build on their third place four years ago and defend their second place in the FIFA world rankings, Belgium has plenty of star players and attacking talent to fall back on.

Still, there are plenty of holes in this pool of players and Martinez will have to work hard to find the right combination, especially in the backcourt.

Belgium has plenty of star players and attacking talent to fall back on
Belgium has plenty of star players and attacking talent to fall back on

Stars

The well-deserved superstar of the Belgian national team is Kevin De Bruyne, who is regarded as one of the best players in the world. His creativity is world-class and every pass imaginable. He can also score goals and will be looking for a formidable attacking power.

Next to De Bruyne is Romelu Lukaku, who is back on the court at Inter, but injuries have brought his club’s start to the season to a halt. Still, Martinez manages to make the most of a dangerous attacker who has been inconsistent throughout his career.

Other stars in the Belgian squad include Eden Hazard, a stranger to Real Madrid, and Thibaut Courtois, a star player in last season’s Champions League final, who has established himself as one of the most talented goalkeepers in the world. Charles de Ketelaere is another name to watch, starring in his first season with AC Milan.

Not many teams in the coaching staff have star names, but Belgium has former France and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry as one of the assistants behind Martinez.

Strengths

This team has great creativity. The presence of De Bruyne alone is a nightmare for the team, but add Hazard, Lukaku, De Ketelaere and Youri Tielemans and the team will score goals.

In addition, keepers are Belgium’s strongest side. Courtois is known as the best goalkeeper in the world at the moment, while substitute Simon Mignolet is in good form in the club’s Champions League game at Club Brugge. Qatar World Cup 2022 fans can buy FIFA World Cup Tickets from our website.

Weaknesses

The age of the backcourt is the biggest problem for this Belgian team. Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are as experienced and solid as they are, but they are 33 and 35 years old respectively and have both returned to Belgium to complete their club careers.

Few young talents can replace them, meaning the two veterans are likely to start for Belgium when they are fit.

The age of the backcourt is the biggest problem for this Belgian team
The age of the backcourt is the biggest problem for this Belgian team

Belgium Football World Cup Group

The Red Devils are placed in Group F, with only the best two from each group progressing.

Belgium, the highest-ranked team in Group F, will begin games against John Herdman and Canada before taking on African powerhouses Morocco and 2018 finalists Croatia.

A knockout spot may already be in hand, and the final game against Croatia could be a solid touchstone for whether Belgium is ready to chase World Cup glory.

FIFA World Cup Group F schedule

DateMatchTime (ET)Stadium
Wed, Nov. 23Morocco vs. Croatia5 a.m.Al Bayt
Wed, Nov. 23Belgium vs. Canada2 p.m.Ahmad Bin Ali
Sun, Nov. 27Belgium vs. Morocco8 a.m.Al Thumama
Sun, Nov. 27Croatia vs. Canada11 a.m.Khalifa Int’l
Thurs, Dec. 1Croatia vs. Belgium10 a.m.Ahmad Bin Ali 
Thurs, Dec. 1Canada vs. Morocco10 a.m.Al Thumama

Belgium FIFA World Cup 2022 squad, the line-up

Finding a third member to play alongside Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen will be manager Martinez’s biggest challenge at the 2022 World Cup. Jason Denayer appears to be the leading candidate, although Dedryck Boyata and even Zeno Debast can confirm that.

Thomas Meunier’s status at the World Cup has been called into question by an injury that broke his cheekbone at Borussia Dortmund on October 16.

Belgium, the highest-ranked team in Group F
Belgium, the highest-ranked team in Group F

The combination of the midfield will also be crucial. Premier League duo Youri Tielemans and Leander Dendoncker seem most likely to start, but veteran Axel Witsel could fight for quite some time, with Amadou Onana also an option.

Romelu Lukaku is a midfield starter when healthy, but he has also been used on the wing by Martinez in previous caps and could be deployed on the wing where Michy Batshuayi leads the way. Ultimately, the correct use of Kevin De Bruyne is a big key for Martinez, who will likely be deployed as part of the front line, forcing him to cut in the middle when the fullbacks overlap.

The expected starting line-up of Belgium against Canada (3-4-3):

Courtois (GK) – Alderweireld, Thielemans, Vertonghen, Denayer – Castagne, Meunier – Hazard, Dendonk, Lukaku, De Bruyne.

Can Belgium replace players on the Football World Cup squad?

Once the final roster of 26 men has been formalized, teams participating in the World Cup can only make changes before the opening game of the tournament, and only in exceptional circumstances.

According to the official tournament rules: “A player on the final list will only be replaced due to a serious injury or illness within 24 hours before the start of his team’s first game.”

The team in question must submit a medical report to FIFA, and a replacement will be allowed if the world governing body determines that the “injury is serious enough to inhibit the player from joining in the FIFA World Cup “.

Substitutions must be drawn from the preliminary squad submitted to FIFA in October.

Eticketing.co is the best website for All Sports events. Qatar World Cup 2022 fans to buy Football World Cup Tickets from our website.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Will referees have to speak Spanish during Rugby World Cup 2023 in France?

The Japan syndrome and how it's drumming Damian McKenzie's All Blacks chances

Anthony Joshua v Tyson Fury: Wilder arbitration casts doubt over Saudi Arabia bout