2026 will be a very important year for the Red Devils, because they have to perform at the World Cup next summer. The group stage does not seem to be a problem with Egypt, Iran and New Zealand as opponents.
After that, however, the question is how far the Devils will be able to get. A difficult opponent may already be waiting in the eighth finals and the current team has not yet really been tested against a major opponent.
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Defense remains the Red Devils’ Achilles heel
Hein Vanhaezebrouck mainly fears one line. “We have sufficient quality up front and in midfield. The goal is the best in the world. But defensively…”, he sighs in Het Nieuwsblad. “Mechele has been doing well for a few years and he has to go to the World Cup with all his experience. But with all due respect to that guy: if you have to play with Mechele in the national team, then something is wrong.”
However, there are not many options. Rudi Garcia usually relies centrally on Debast, Theate, Mechele and De Winter. Faes is no longer eligible because he plays in the second division in England, while Matte Smets has not been called up since his disastrous debut more than a year ago.
Vanhaezebrouck sees a problem in training
However, according to Vanhaezebrouck, the problem goes deeper than just less talent in the defense. “Belgium has a problem with the training of central defenders,” the analyst notes.
“They used to be guys like me. Or like Van Buyten, Kompany, Vertonghen, Van Meir, Albert… Sturdy bears that would make you cross the street in fear,” he remembers. “If a youth player of stature is a little less stature in terms of football, then we push him aside. In England or Germany there are still cabinets of guys at the back. Beasts. With us there are Arthur Theate or Wout Faes, who are a head shorter than their German colleagues. Ngoy from Lille is also only 1m83.”
