For a sustained period, Belgium boasted one of the most talented squads on the planet. It was a golden generation that were consistently among the favourites to win any major tournament they showed up to but ultimately left every trip to the World Cup and European Championships empty-handed.
With much of the squad that finished third at the 2018 World Cup either retired or coming to the end of their careers, the peak of that particular cycle appears to have passed.
But the country’s contribution to the game stretches further than one generation of players. The Belgian sides of the 1980s were no less formidable in their own right, reaching the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup and finishing as runners-up at Euro 1980.
Some incredible talents have pulled on the nation’s shirt for the Red Devils, a lot of them coming over the span of the last decade or so. It begs the question: who are the greatest Belgian players of all time?
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15 Axel Witsel
Career Span: 2006-Present
Axel Witsel was the glue that held Belgium’s midfield together for the best part of a decade. While many of the names on this list tended to grab the headlines ahead of him, Witsel quietly got on with the job, providing the balance that allowed his more attack-minded teammates to flourish.
His career saw him play for some of Europe’s big boys, spending four years at Borussia Dortmund before a three-year stint at Atletico Madrid. He earned well over 100 international caps and was rarely the first name opposition fans feared, but he was almost always the first name on the team sheet.
14 Dries Mertens
Career Span: 2006-2025
After 33 combined goals and assists in a single Eredivise season, Dries Mertens moved to Italy and became a Napoli icon, and is their all-time leading scorer with 148 goals. No small feat at a club that once had Diego Maradona on its books.
At 5ft 7in, he was never the most imposing figure in an attacking line, but he more than made up for it with intelligent movement, technical brilliance and an impressive goal catalogue. He was equally important in a Belgium shirt, representing his country over 100 times, appearing at multiple World Cups and European Championships.
International Stats
Caps
109
Goals
21
13 Michel Preud’homme
Career Span: 1977-1999
Michel Preud’Homme – Belgium stock 2/7/94 Pic : Action Images
Michel Preud’homme is one of the finest goalkeepers Belgium has ever produced. Commanding in the box and blessed with sharp reflexes, he was a dominant presence for both Standard Liege and Mechelen, but a match-fixing scandal in the early 1980s cost him six months of his career.
After spending the early portion of his international career behind Jean-Marie Pfaff, Preud’homme would go on to be a regular starter for the next seven years. His crowning international moment came at the 1994 World Cup, where his performances were so impressive that he was given the tournament’s Golden Glove award and voted as the world’s best goalkeeper by The International Federation of Football History & Statistics that same year.
International Stats
Caps
58
Clean Sheets
26
12 Mousa Dembele
Career Span: 2003-2022
Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur – Premier League – Stamford Bridge – 26/11/16 Tottenham’s Mousa Dembele in action with Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante Action Images via Reuters / Matthew Childs Livepic
Mousa Dembele rarely courted the spotlight, but those who played alongside him or against him knew exactly what they were dealing with. The midfielder possessed a rare combination of power, balance and technical ability that made him almost impossible to dispossess, and at his peak many regarded him as one of the most naturally gifted players in Europe.
His time in the Premier League with Fulham and Tottenham showcased those qualities, and he was a valued presence for Belgium across several major tournaments. He likely deserved more recognition than he got, but that’s rather fitting for a player who never asked for it.
International Stats
Caps
82
Goals
5
11 Jan Ceulemans
Career Span: 1974-1992
Long before Belgium’s golden generation emerged, Jan Ceulemans was setting the standard for those who would follow. The powerful attacking midfielder earned more than 90 caps for his country, captained the side through one of their most successful periods and was central to the run that took them to the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup, knocking out the Soviet Union and Spain.
At club level, he near-enough spent his entire career at Club Brugge, winning multiple league titles and becoming one of the most celebrated Belgian players ever.
International Stats
Caps
96
Goals
23
10 Enzo Scifo
Career Span: 1982-2001
A four-time Ballon d’Or nominee, Enzo Scifo’s lesser-known career was one of the kickstarters to the rich vein of talent seen emanating from Belgium ever since his prominence in the 1980s. Enjoying spells with the likes of Inter and AS Monaco across his 18-year career, it was home club RSC Anderlecht wherein he enjoyed the majority of his success.
Debuting for the team as a 17-year-old in 1983, Scifo made over 100 appearances for the side across his four-year spell, marking his name out as one of the hottest young players in Europe after helping the side to three straight league titles.
Further respectable spells with Inter, Monaco, Auxerre and Torino followed, with Scifo enjoying a decent goal record across his career. Having made his debut for Belgium aged just 18, he went on to make 84 appearances for his country, scoring 18 goals. An under-appreciated and lesser-known player with a remarkable career path and depth of talent.
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9 Toby Alderweireld
Career Span: 2006-2025
Burnley v Tottenham Hotspur – Premier League – Turf Moor – 1/4/17 Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld Action Images via Reuters / Jason Cairnduff Livepic
Having burst onto the scene as a 19-year-old for Dutch side Ajax, Toby Alderweireld might just be one of the most underrated centre-backs to have played the game. Having made over 100 showings for the Dutch giants, a debut for his country and subsequent move to Atlético Madrid followed for Alderweireld. After struggling to break into the Atleti first team, he was loaned to Premier League side Southampton, where his impressive season took him to Tottenham on a permanent deal.
Alderweireld would go on to become ever-present in the Spurs team, and although he may not have picked up any trophies in his time there, he played a big part alongside compatriot Jan Vertonghen in reaching the 2019 Champions League final, where they were defeated cruelly by Liverpool. Alderweireld and Vertonghen’s partnership transcended club level, with the pair making well over 100 appearances each for the Red Devils in a golden age for Belgian centre-backs, with a certain Vincent Kompany in the offing as well.
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8 Jean-Marie Pfaff
Career Span: 1971-1990
The goalkeeper of the tournament in Belgium’s semi-final run in the 1986 World Cup, Belgian Bayern icon Pfaff was one of the most unique goalkeepers to grace the game.
Though not the tallest goalkeeper around, standing at 5’11, Pfaff was still an incredibly confident, commanding goalkeeper who was renowned for his incredible shot-stopping ability and composure with the ball at his feet.
El Simpatico’s300+ appearance-laden time across his ten-year spell at home club Beveren eventually earned a call from Bayern Munich, where Pfaff would go on to play a further 156 games in between the sticks for the Bavarian giants, earning himself the right to call himself one of Belgium’s best ever goalkeepers, and one of the best in the world in his prime.
International Stats
Caps
64
Clean Sheets
19
7 Paul Van Himst
Career Span: 1959-1977
Voted the best Belgian footballer in the 20th century, Paul Van Himst’s career may not have been a particularly mainstream one, but his time at Anderlecht will forever be the stuff of legend, for them. Spending nearly his entire career with the Belgian giants between 1959 and 1975, Van Himst was an incredibly prolific and efficient goalscorer, recording double-digit seasons for ten campaigns in a row, as well as becoming the clubs highest appearance maker with 457 showings for Anderlecht.
He was renowned in Belgium for his pace and creativity, being just as effective in creating goals as he was at putting them away. His loyalty to his beloved Anderlecht may have prevented his career from hitting the mainstream, but Van Himst likely doesn’t care as he became one of the most legendary players in Anderlecht’s history.
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6 Jan Vertonghen
Career Span: 2005-2025
Nearly everything that can be said in regards to long-term partner Alderweireld applies to Jan Vertonghen too. He holds the record as Belgium’s most-capped player with 157 and shared the pitch with his teammate on over 350 occasions for club and country. A 2012 signing from Ajax, Vertonghen spent almost a decade with Tottenham in the Premier League, being another vital piece to the puzzle that came inches away from a remarkable Champions League success.
Vertonghen’s calmness on the ball and proficiency going forward outed him in his prime as one of the better ball-playing defenders in the world, and his aforementioned partnership with Alderweireld was formidable, though it may not have brought home any trophies.
Manchester United are facing a battle in their hopes of landing Newcastle United star Lewis Hall, as a Premier League rival has joined the race, according to TeamTalk.
The England international has emerged as a key target for the Red Devils this summer, as they switch focus to improving the left-back ranks over the course of the transfer market.
It has been a problem position for several seasons, with Luke Shaw‘s fitness concerns joined by the inability to land a competitive replacement in recent transfer windows.
While the 30-year-old improved his availability last season, a return to the Champions League for next season means that several targets are on the radar to help deal with the increasingly busy schedule.
Hall appears to be target number one, but there is a fresh challenge in trying to secure his signature.
While there is some hope of getting a deal done, TeamTalk now reports that Premier League rivals Chelsea are in the conversation to sign the 21-year-old in the transfer window.
It’s claimed that the Blues are eyeing a possible return for the star, who came through the club’s academy ranks as a youngster before making the switch to Newcastle.
Chelsea have made enquiries over the possibility, which may only ramp up due to Marc Cucurella’s transfer to Real Madrid going through after a swift agreement was reached for the Spaniard.
The £60 million fee could prove to be prohibitive, with it being double the £30 million fee they managed to sell Hall for just a few years ago.
That said, the sale of Cucurella does mean the West London club now have money to burn at left-back, which could rock Man United in their own hopes of landing Hall.
The report claims that the 21-year-old is the “leading target” for the Red Devils this summer, but now face a battle on their hands to land him.
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Hall Deal Importance
via Reuters
Manchester United’s chase for a left-back will be key heading into next season, as the squad can’t be left short for such an important area with the return of the Champions League.
Enzo Fernandez opens up on Lionel Messi, Argentina’s World Cup triumph, and the pressure of defending the trophy on the biggest stage.
In this exclusive interview with Ben Jacobs, Enzo Fernandez reflects on winning the World Cup with Messi, his emotional first goal for Argentina, Dibu Martinez’s iconic final save, and what it means to represent Argentina heading into another massive tournament. Enzo also discusses his evolution as a player, growing into a leadership role, and his dream of one day captaining the national team.
From Messi’s influence to Argentina’s winning mentality, this is Enzo Fernandez on the moments that shaped his career — and what comes next.
According to reports, FIFA have managed to ban fans from one nation from bringing their own flags to World Cup games this summer. The ruling was upheld after a last-minute hearing in Los Angeles on Monday.
The team in question are Iran. Their supporters will no longer be able to wave pre-revolutionary flags at their matches in the United States this summer. They have games to come against New Zealand, Belgium and Egypt, which all take place in the US.
There is a current conflict between the two nations, and it was unclear if Iran would be able to compete at the tournament. They were supposed to have their training camp in Tucson, Arizona, but that was moved to Tijuana, Mexico. There have also been claims that they will only be allowed into the US to play their matches, before then immediately flying out of the country.
The flag is similar to the country’s official flag but features a lion and sun motif in the standard’s centre.
It was the subject of a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday by the Institute for Voice of Liberty and Sam Kermanian, an Iran fan intending to go to the game. Just hours before their match against the All Whites, it was ruled that the ban should be allowed to stand.
Judge Curtis A. Kin said:
“Free speech is incredibly important, it is sacred, a bedrock of our society, but it is not without limitation, such as private actor, on private property, and as shown by previous cases, regulating in reasonable way. I deny the application.”
The flag in question is historically associated with the country’s previous Shah-led regime, which was deposed in 1979. Judge Kin explained his reasoning, adding: “There may be harm to some 2,500 staff members who have to deal with safety protocols.
“It is a tremendous burden to change a long-standing stadium protocol for a massive event in a period of hours. It is hard to see how FIFA could make a change at one stadium and not the rest.” He argued a stadium, where a ticket for entry is required, is not pubic like a park or a street.
FIFA Deem Pre-Revolutionary Iran Flags As ‘Political’ in Nature
Lawyer Shahrokh Mokhtarzadeh, representing Iran fan Kermanian, argued that the World Cup is a joint venture between FIFA and governments and therefore the stadium is taking on a public forum. Speaking on behalf of 5,000 members of the Institute for Voice of Liberty:
“They are ticket holders, with a right to attend game with their own flag. This is being violated. It may be trivial to many, to them it is critical. There is a huge Iranian community in California, many are not going to want to walk in with Islamic Republic flag. They are being denied their exercise of free speech. This is not someone yelling fire in a theatre.”
Judge Kin responded: “So you could walk in with a Nazi flag or Confederate flag or Soviet flag or that of the KKK?” To which Mokhtarzadeh claimed that those people should also be protected by the right to free speech. He added: “Denial will cause more problems than are lost. (Allowing the lion and sun flag) is a way of preventing problems in the stadium. Right to free speech far outweighs any concern FIFA may have.”
FIFA appear to have taken issue with the pre-revolutionary flag, as it has been deemed “political” in nature. A source inside FIFA with direct knowledge of its position told The Athletic that this is the case.
On that, a past statement explained what ‘materials’ would not be allowed in World Cup stadiums: “Any materials, including but not limited to banners, flags, fliers, apparel and other paraphernalia, that are of a political, offensive and/or discriminatory nature, containing wording, symbols or any other attributes aimed at discrimination of any kind against a country, private person or group on account of race, skin colour, ethnicity, national or social origin, gender identity and expression, disability, language, religion, political opinion or any other opinion, birth, wealth or any other status, sexual orientation or on any other grounds.”
