Country profile
Belgium
Kingdom of Belgium
Key facts
Capital
Brussels
Population
11,600,000
Confederation
UEFA
FIFA code
BEL
Overview
Belgium punches far above its weight. A compact, densely populated kingdom of around 11.7 million wedged between France, Germany and the Netherlands, it is a nation of two main linguistic communities — Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking Wallonia — bound together by Brussels, the de facto capital of the European Union.
Football is one of the great unifiers across that linguistic divide. From the cobbled cities of Bruges and Ghent to the industrial heartlands of Liège and Charleroi, the game stitches together a country famous for chocolate, beer, comics and a wry sense of self-deprecation.
The "Red Devils" became a genuine source of national identity during the golden generation, turning a small federal state into a perennial top-five force on the global stage.
Football culture
Belgium's renowned youth-development overhaul in the 2000s produced an astonishing conveyor of elite talent for such a small nation. Club Brugge and Anderlecht command fierce loyalty, and the league is a renowned exporter of polished young players to Europe's giants. Match days blend Flemish and Walloon fans behind a single tricolore.
World Cup history
Belgium's breakthrough came in 1986 with a fourth-place finish inspired by Enzo Scifo and Jean-Marie Pfaff. The golden generation peaked with a magnificent third place at Russia 2018, beating Brazil en route. A disappointing group-stage exit in 2022 signalled the end of that vintage era.
Location
Did you know
- Belgium topped the FIFA world rankings for a record stretch without ever winning a major trophy.
- The country produces more beer varieties than almost any nation on Earth.
- Brussels hosts the headquarters of both the EU and NATO.
- French fries were arguably perfected in Belgium, not France.
- Eden Hazard, Lukaku and De Bruyne all emerged from the same celebrated youth-development reboot.
From Wikipedia
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to the south, and the North Sea to the west. Belgium covers an area…
Source: Wikipedia →