Despite World Cup qualification, Rudi Garcia’s future as Belgium’s Red Devils head coach remains in flux | OneFootball

Belgium’s Red Devils qualified for the 2026 World Cup this week after a thumping victory over Lichtenstein. This means that the side, who failed to reach the tournament in 2006 and 2010, have now qualified for four tournaments in a row. However, in two of the past three tournaments the Red Devils have been dark horses for the tournament, with arguably the most talented squad they have ever had.

However, 2026 will be very different. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar saw the final moment of the Golden Generation as they exited at the Group Stages. The transition began as players retired and Roberto Martinez left his role as head coach. Since then, the nation has seen Domenico Tedesco come and go and are now under the management of Rudi Garcia. Perhaps it is the expectations created by this recent success, but Garcia’s own position is now coming under heavy scrutiny. While the Red Devils did qualify for the World Cup off the back of a huge win, their performances during qualification left a lot to be desired.

As a result, the rumour mill is already spinning. Garcia may not remain in charge for the 2026 World Cup, which is hardly ideal preperation but the Belgian FA do need to make a decision, one that they owe to the likes of Kevin de Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Thibault Courtois. These three are all that remains of the best of the last generation, and this will likely be their last World Cup. At the moment, the side look like one that could easily falter at the group stages. However, could a new coach change that? It’s difficult to say, but public opinion also appears to suggest that moving on from Garcia already could be popular.

There are talented players coming through, and there had been some hope that maybe this next generation could get close to that of the most recent one. Yet, it appears that this may have been too optimistic. The side like a Jan Vertonghen or Toby Aldeweireld at the back, while in midfield they are also short of the likes of Axel Witsel in his prime. Lukaku remains the best striker Belgium have, but his injury concerns in recent years mean that he can’t always be relied upon to be available. Is that down to Garcia? Clearly not, but finding a way to win without Lukaku and de Bruyne is certainly his responsibility.

Bar the 2018 tournament where they finished third, Belgium have usually been good when completely unfancied. In 1986 they finished fourth in Mexico, and maybe a return to that part of the world will inspire the side to defy the odds. Whether or not Garcia will be part of that remains to be seen.

GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson