Who are the Belgian players with the most Serie A appearances? | OneFootball

Former Roma, Inter and Cagliari star Radja Nainggolan is the Belgian player with the most Serie A appearances, followed by Napoli legend Dries Mertens and ex-Fiorentina forward Luis Oliveira.

Kevin De Bruyne was the latest Belgian star to move to Italy this summer, completing a free move to Napoli from Manchester City, but many compatriots of the 34-year-old have graced the Italian league in recent years.

His contract with the Premier League giants expired in June, and Napoli beat competition from Saudi and MLS clubs to secure his signature.

“The main reason for me is that I wanted to play at the highest level, and I think that when the sporting director came to England and proposed what they’re doing and the project around it, it made me excited,” De Bruyne explained in his unveiling press conference.

“We looked at everything, and I thought this was the best place for me to be.

“I’ve been in the Premier League so long and in the end, I made the decision to go out of England, I’ve done what I’ve done and in the end I’m a Man City player for life and I think it was also the way that it ended for me, it’s time to find a new challenge.”

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Kevin De Bruyne in pre-season training with Napoli.

The connection between Italian and Belgian football grows stronger as the years pass, as clubs from the two countries often become involved in transfer negotiations.

One of the latest examples is Charles De Ketelaere, who struggled in his first season at Milan after a €38m move from Club Brugge but quickly became a key player at Atalanta, even winning the Europa League in the 2023-24 season.

The rise of Belgian talents in Italy justifies the growing interest in Serie A football in the northern European country, although it remains to be seen how the new gaming levies introduced in 2025 could impact fan entertainment budgets.

De Bruyne’s move to Serie A will likely bring exciting opportunities via Peppermillcasino as Napoli are not only defending their domestic champion status in 2025-26 but will also compete in the Champions League after missing out on Europe’s elite club competition last season.

Belgian players with the most Serie A appearances

Radja Nainggolan of AS Roma gestures during the Serie A match between AS Roma and ACF Fiorentina at Stadio Olimpico on February 7, 2017 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images )

As previously mentioned, De Bruyne is only the latest Belgian star moving to Italy’s top flight.

One of his most notable compatriots in the Peninsula is Nainggolan, who played for Roma, Cagliari, and Inter, accumulating 367 league appearances. The 37-year-old is the Belgian player with the most appearances in Serie A.

Nainggolan is followed by Mertens, the best scorer in Napoli‘s history, who collected 295 league games with the Partenopei.

Another striker, Luis Oliveira, spent several years in Serie A, playing for Cagliari, Fiorentina and Bologna and accumulating 257 league appearances.