Our FIFA World Cup Fantasy 2026 team previews continue with a look at Belgium.
Although they’ve qualified for a seventh successive major tournament, the ‘golden generation’ that took part in previous ones is over. Only veterans Thibaut Courtois ($4.9m), Kevin De Bruyne ($7.5m) and Romelu Lukaku ($7.4m) remain.
The Red Devils have never won a World Cup, following up a third-placed 2018 by woefully bowing out at the group stage in Qatar, scoring just once.
Still, Rudi Garcia’s squad should progress from a weak-looking Group G, alongside Egypt, Iran and New Zealand. From there, anything can happen. They are currently 10th in the bookies’ odds.
In these country-by-country guides, we’ll be looking at the best players of each nation, reviewing the road to the World Cup and more.
SQUAD
Eight of these are current Premier League players, including Jeremy Doku ($7.5m), Youri Tielemans ($6.1m), Leandro Trossard ($6.6m) and Maxim De Cuyper ($4.7m).
- READ MORE: Confirmed World Cup 2026 squads so far
THE ROAD TO QUALIFICATION
Group J’s winners were unbeaten, averaging over three-and-a-half goals per game.
However, qualification wasn’t exactly straightforward.
Both meetings with North Macedonia ended in a draw, as did last November’s trip to Kazakhstan. De Bruyne’s 88th-minute winner against Wales spared embarrassment, having seen an early, rampant 3-0 lead slip away. The return clash in Cardiff was more impressive.
In terms of clean sheets, Belgium collected four in eight.
BIGGEST GOAL THREATS IN QUALIFYING
*note: the xG in the above table is non-penalty
Then again, Garcia’s side was able to hand out three heavy beatings.
Despite a low rate of expected goals (xG) per shot, it was De Bruyne who racked up the most goals (six), two being from the penalty spot.
Yet those took place in Wales, when fellow takers Lukaku and Tielemans weren’t on the pitch.
Just like in Fantasy Premier League (FPL), Doku averaged just 0.07 xG per shot, suggesting a rashness to them.
His 27 attempts were team-leading, but there was an overachievement of 3.12 goals.
MOST CREATIVE PLAYERS IN QUALIFYING
Sticking with Doku, the Manchester City winger also made the highest number of key passes (26), although Alexis Saelemaekers ($5.7m) gathered the most assists (four).
Notably, De Bruyne and Doku averaged 3.85 and 3.33 key passes per 90 minutes in qualifying, so there is potential to do well with the chance creation bonus this summer.
SINCE QUALIFICATION
| Date | Opposition | Result | Goalscorers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 March 2026 | v United States (a) | 5-2 | Debast, Onana, De Ketelaere (pen), Lukebakio (x2) |
| 1 April 2026 | v Mexico (n) | 1-1 | Lukebakio |
In early spring, Garcia took his team to North America to face two of this summer’s co-hosts.
While the United States opened and closed the scoring in Atlanta, Belgium netted five in between.
Defender Zeno Debast‘s ($4.3m) 30-yard strike found its way into the net before Amadou Onana ($5.9m) and Charles De Ketelaere‘s ($5.6m) penalty made it 3-1.
Not shown in either of the earlier goals and assists tables, Dodi Lukebakio ($5.9m) came off the bench to score a couple. He added another versus Mexico in Chicago. Two of the three involved curling in a left-footer from the right-sided corner of the box.
TOP FANTASY PICKS
The star seems to be Jeremy Doku, and he enters on the back of some strong Manchester City form.
Four goals in five matches, as April turned into May.
The tricky winger offers a constant threat down the flanks, having produced the most shots (27) and key passes (26) for Belgium in qualification.
Kevin De Bruyne missed four months because of a hamstring injury and will be 35 when the tournament begins.
But, such is the weakness of Group G, this fading force should still have enough quality to emerge with a couple of wins and clean sheets.
De Bruyne racked up six goals in qualification and remains a key part of Rudi Garcia’s tactical approach. Pulling the strings from midfield, he should also take plenty of set-pieces this summer.
Rudi Garcia’s ideal starting XI would likely include Lukaku up top, but the centre-forward did not start a single match for Napoli last season, so there are serious question marks over his fitness.
In the absence of Lukaku, De Ketelaere has taken on the role of an ‘out of position’ false nine, netting in the 5-0 friendly win over Tunisia.
His season at Atalanta was pretty poor (five goals and seven assists in all competitions), and Lukaku will surely re-enter the line-up at some point (he came on for De Ketelaere around the 66th minute in the most recent friendly). However, De Ketelaere could feature initially, making him a decent option, particularly for those on a Round 3 Wildcard strategy.
