De Winter hopes Milan help him get Belgium 2026 World Cup spot | OneFootball

Milan defender Koni De Winter hopes that his performances with the Rossoneri this season will help him get a spot in the Belgium squad for the 2026 World Cup.

De Winter has become a regular starter at Milan in recent months, starting seven of the last eight Serie A matches.

The Belgium international moved to San Siro from Genoa last summer and has scored one goal in 18 appearances with the Rossoneri.

“I used to follow Milan’s games in the Champions League as a kid,” De Winter told Tuttosport (via Gianluca Di Marzio).

“My dad had done it even before I was born. I really liked Seedorf; he even wanted to call me Clarence.”

De Winter’s Juventus debut under Allegri

MILAN, ITALY – JANUARY 18: Massimiliano Allegri, Head Coach of AC Milan, looks on prior to the Serie A match between AC Milan and US Lecce at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium on January 18, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

De Winter is a product of the Juventus Academy and made his senior debut with the Bianconeri under Massimiliano Allegri in 2021, in a Champions League match against Chelsea.

“It was nice to reunite with Allegri; I’m on excellent terms with him,” the defender said.

“When he has a target, he goes forward to accomplish it. When I arrived at Juventus, I felt disoriented, but when I trained with him, he was always very attentive. When he saw I was ready, he added me to the first team and gave me my senior debut.”

De Winter on his role models, Milan targets and World Cup

ROME, ITALY – JANUARY 25: Koni De Winter of AC Milan celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between AS Roma and AC Milan at Stadio Olimpico on January 25, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images)

De Winter went on talk about his role models and Milan’s target this season.

“I’ve always liked Kompany and Thiago Silva,” he said.

“At Juventus, I only had to look to Chiellini, Bonucci and De Ligt to learn something. I’d be very happy if we return to the Champions League this season.”

DUBLIN, IRELAND – MARCH 23: Koni De Winter of Belgium runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Evan Ferguson of Republic of Ireland during the international friendly match between Republic of Ireland and Belgium at Aviva Stadium on March 23, 2024 in Dublin, Ireland. (Photo by Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

I hope to live this experience. Being here in Milan will help me improve and get the call-up.

De Winter made his senior Belgium debut in 2024 under Domenico Tedesco and has made five appearances with his national team.

The 23-year-old has been regularly called up to the senior Belgian national team since June 2025.