Top 15 Belgian Football (Soccer) Players

Belgium national association football team by soccer.ru from Wikimedia Commons

Top 15 Belgian Football (Soccer) Players


 

Belgium is a tiny landlocked country in Europe that is often overshadowed by the bigger nations surrounding it. However, when it comes to matters of football(soccer), do not let its size fool you.

Belgium is ranked at position two (#2) in FIFA national team rankings behind the great footballing nation of Brazil. This country has churned out dozens of the world’s best soccer – or football – players currently in the top leagues today!
Especially in recent years with the current regime on players in the national squad considered its ‘golden age.’ However, despite all this, Belgium has consistently underperformed on the big stage. Their best performance at a World Cup tournament came in 2018 when they reached the semifinals but were eliminated by eventual winners France.

With one of the best squads at the 2022 World Cup, Belgium came into the tournament as favourites. The tournament was probably the last chance  for their so-called ‘golden age’ to bring home the big trophy. However, they bowed out of the competition following a draw with a resilient Croatia team making them lose on points difference in Group F.

Read on to see why the following 15 best Belgian soccer players are still regarded the best.

15.Jan Vertonghen

Jan Vertonghen by Wikimedia Commons

Vertonghen is a professional footballer who currently plays for the Belgian club Anderlecht and the Belgian national team. Known for his defensive prowess as a centre-back, he began his career in 2006 for Ajax. He has since played for Tottenham Hotspur (2012-2020) and Benfica (2020-2022) before moving to Anderlecht in 2022.

He made 315 appearances for Tottenham over eight years and won their player of the year award in 2018. For the national team, Vertonghen has been active since 2007. With 143 caps, he is the most-capped Belgian player.
He competed for Belgian teams that finished third at the 2018 World Cup, advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and placed fourth at the 2008 Olympics. He was selected for Belgium’s Qatar World Cup squad. He started in both of Belgium’s first 2 games against Canada and Morocco and played the complete 90 minutes in both games.

Current Club: Anderlecht
Position: Centre-Back
Caps: 143
Goals: 9

14. Alex Witsel

Witsel playing for Zenit Saint Petersburg by Wikimedia Commons

Alex Witsel is a professional footballer who currently plays for Borussia Dortmund and the Belgian national team. Making over 183 appearances for his hometown club, Standard Liege, he was a young talent throughout the years. He won the Belgian Golden Shoe in 2008 before signing for his new team, Zenit Saint Petersburg, in 2012. 

Throughout the years, he has been a staple in the Belgian national team, having played at every level of the youth national teams. So far, he has earned 112 caps for his national team since 2008.

Current Club: Atletico Madrid
Position: Defensive Midfielder or Centre-Back
Caps: 143
Goals: 9

13. Toby Alderweireld

Toby Alderweireld from Wikimedia Commons

Toby Alderweireld is a 32-year-old Belgian footballer who currently plays as a center back for Tottenham Hotspurs in the English Premier League. He signed for his current club in 2015 and helped his team reach the Champions League final in 2019, and earn over 110 caps for his country. In addition, he represented Belgium at various international tournaments, such as the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Championship. 

Current Club: Royal Antwerp
Position: Centre-Back or Right-Back
Caps: 125
Goals: 5

12. Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard by soccer.ru.Wikimedia Commons

A Premier League legend to all football fans, particularly Chelsea supporters. Eden Hazard moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2019 after establishing himself as one of the top players in the Premier League during the previous ten years. His dribbling is his greatest strength as opponents struggle terribly to stop him without committing fouls.

Teams at Chelsea were constructed during the course of six different managers’ tenures to maximize his performance. After moving to Madrid, everyone assumed that Hazard would take over as he had in England. However, this was not to be as injuries have hampered his progress significantly.

Hazard is a legend not only because of the trophies he has won with clubs (albeit many) but his style of play and the influence he has on the outcomes of games. He has won the champions league, 2 PL titles, 2 La Liga titles, and 2 Europa league cups among many other trophies.

For the national side, Hazard has been at the forefront since his debut in 2008. He has been a member of the Belgian squad which reached the quarter-finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2016, and UEFA Euro 2020. He has captained Belgium since 2015 and was the captain of the squad in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup. Hazard’s club football form or lack thereof seems to be extending to his national team in the 2022 World Cup. He has failed to impress in the first two games in Qatar and Belgian fans will hope he can turn things around for their all-important clash with Croatia to guarantee they proceed to the Round of 16.

Current Club: Real Madrid
Position: Winger or Attacking Midfielder
Caps: 124
Goals: 33

11. Dries Mertens

Dries Mertens by soccer.ru.Wikimedia Commons

A Napoli legend, the brilliant Dries Mertens is one of the best and most talented footballers from Belgium. He is highly known for his brilliant dribbling, passing, and shooting skills.

Mertens has played for several clubs since making his senior debut. These include; Utrecht, PSV Eindhoven, Napoli, and Now Galatasary. He has spent the majority of his career at Napoli (9 years) and has won both the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana at the Club. In 2022 he became Napoli’s all-time top goal scorer.

 In 2011 he made his debut for the national side and has been a regular since. Mertens is among the squad members representing Belgium in the 2022 Qatar World Cup. He was also part of the nation’s squads at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2020.

Current Club: Galatasaray
Position: Winger or Forward
Caps: 107
Goals: 21

10. Romelu Lukaku

Lukaku playing for Manchester United by Wikimedia Commons 

Romelu Lukaku Bolingoli is a powerful striker currently playing club football on a loan at Inter Milan. I mean, if you haven’t seen him, the guy is huge (physically imposing). He is a prolific striker at both club and international levels and is comfortable on both feet.

Romelu began his senior career at the Belgian Side Anderlecht before moving to England where he has represented a host of clubs. These include Chelsea, West Bromwich Albion, Everton, and Manchester United.

Lukaku has been a member of the national squad since 2010. Currently, Lukaku already is Belgium’s all-time top goal scorer. He has represented his country at 5 major tournaments: the 2016 and 2020 UEFA European Championships and 2014, 2018, and 2011 FIFA World Cups.

Current Club: Chelsea (On loan at Inter Milan)
Position: Striker
Caps: 102
Goals: 68

9. Vincent Kompany

Vincent Kompany by soccer.ru.Wikimedia Commons

Kompany is a 35-year-old Belgian footballer who is currently the manager of Burnley in the Championship in England. Kompany’s rise to fame turned into superstardom during his tenure at Manchester City.

A mainstay in the defensive line, he graced the English Premier League stage for 11 successful years, winning Team of the Year for two years in a row and winning the Premier League Player of the Season in 2012. 

Captain Fantastic as he is referred to, won the Premier League Player of the Season in 2012 and is regarded as one of the best defenders in English football history. A statue of Kompany was unveiled at Etihad Stadium along with David Silva’s on 28th August 2021.

On national duty, Kompany represented Belgium for 15 years and called quits in 2019 having made 89 appearances. He was part of their squad that came fourth at the 2008 Olympics as well as going to the FIFA World Cup in 2014 and 2018, coming a best-ever third at the latter. He served as captain of the international team from 2010 up until his retirement in 2019.

Current Club: Retired (Manager at Burnley as of 2022)
Position: Center-Back
Caps: 89
Goals: 4

8. Marouane Fellaini

Fellaini by Nick Wikimedia Commons  

Fellaini, known for his tall stature and ability to get his head on the ball, is a 35-year-old footballer who currently plays for Shandong Linen Taishan. A full international player until he retired from representing his country back in 2019, he earned 87 appearances for Belgium from 2007 to 2018.

Fellaini, started his club career at Standard Liège in 2006 and has played for Everton, Manchester United, and currently (as of 2022) Shandong Taishan. He represented the team at the 2008 Olympics, the 2014 World Cup, Euro 2016, and the 2018 World Cup, helping Belgium to third place in the latter tournament.

7. Thibaut Courtois

Thibaut Courtois by Carlos Delgado. Wikimedia Commons

Courtois is one of the best goalkeepers of his generation and is oftentimes considered the best in the world at the moment. To confirm these claims, he recently saved a penalty from Alphonso Davies to help Belgium win their group opener against Canada at the 2022 World Cup. 

It’s a shame he wasn’t awarded ‘Man of the match’ considering how well Canada played and the number of saves he made.

At 29 years old, he currently plays for Real Madrid in Spain after signing for the club in 2018. He has also earned over 145 appearances for Real Madrid and won the Champions League and La Liga titles at Los Blancos.

He played 126 games for Chelsea between 2011 and 2018 and 111 appearances for Atletico Madrid during his loan spell between 2011 and 2014 where he won the Europa League in 2012. At the international level, Thibaut has been Belgium’s number 1 since 2011 and has represented the team in 2014, 2018, and Euro 2016.

6. Timothy Castagne

Currently one of the best full-backs in the Premier League, Castagne is currently a Leicester City player. He was not part of the squad that won the 2015/16 Premier League title but Castagne is definitely crucial to Leicester City’s recent success.

The 26-year-old started out at Genk (Belgium) in 2014 and following impressive performances, in 2017 he moved to Atalanta in the Serie A. After 3 years at Atalanta, he moved to Leicester city where he has impressed since his arrival.

On the international level, Castagne has been a full international player since September 2018. Castagne started as Left Wingback in Belgium’s 1-0 win over Canada at the 2022 World Cup. While the team struggled, they fought and managed to scrape a win. Castagne was part of the squad for Belgium’s second group game against Morocco which they lost 2-0.

Current Club: Leicester City
Position: Full-Back
Caps: 27
Goals: 2

5. Youri Tielemans

Top 15 Belgian Football (Soccer) Players

Youri Tielemans from Wikimedia Commons

If you’re a fan of the Premier League, then you’re definitely familiar with Youri. He is a centre midfielder and is known for his shots outside the box that, more often than most end up as legendary goals.

Tielemans started his career at Anderlecht in Belgium before moving to Monaco in France. After a season at Monaco, he was loaned to Leicester before making the move to Leicester permanent in 2019.

Since joining Leicester in 2019, Tielemans has impressed greatly, becoming one of the most feared midfielders in the premier league. His contract at Leicester ends in 2023, and as of November 2022, there are no signs of renewal.

This implies that Tielemans will be moving to a new club in 2023 and Arsenal are the favourite for his signature. Only time will tell if he stays or where he ends up, what’s sure is that Tielemans will shine wherever he is.

25-year-old Tielemans has represented Belgium since 2016 at 19 years of age. He was part of the squad that came third at the 2018 FIFA World Cup and also featured at UEFA Euro 2020. As expected, Tielemans was part of the Belgian squad in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup. He started their opener against Canada (1-0 win) but was dropped for their second game against Morocco (2-0 loss) although he came on as a substitute in the 60th minute.

Current Club: Leicester City
Position: Midfielder
Caps: 56
Goals: 5

4. Thorgan Hazard

Thorgan Hazard by Steffen Prößdorf. Wikimedia Commons

Born in a footballing family, Thorgan is the elder brother of Kylian Hazard and the younger brother of Eden Hazard. Yes, the same Eden Hazard on this list!

Thorgan is an explosive midfielder who while has failed to reach the heights his brothers did has had significant influence. He started out at the French club Lens before signing with Chelsea. While he made 0 appearances for Chelsea, he ended up at Borussia Monchengladbach where he truly got to shine.

After 4 years, he signed for their city rivals Borussia Dortmund in 2019 where he has been since. He got his first international cap in 2013 and represented his national side at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. 

Thorgan was part of the Belgian squad in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup. He did not play in their 1-0 win over Canada but started their second game against Morocco. He was substituted in the 75th minute in the 2-0 loss to Morocco. 

Current Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Attacking Midfielder or Winger
Caps: 45
Goals: 9

3. Divock Origi

Divock Origi by Werner100359. Wikimedia Commons

‘Corner was taken quickly, Origii…’ is probably one of the wildest moments in recent football history. Divock Okoth Origi is the man behind (or at the end of) this moment. Despite having Kenyan origins and ties, Origi is a Belgian international and has represented the international side severally.

Origi began his senior career at Lille, before moving to Liverpool where he truly became a legend, and then moved to AC Milan. One of his most crucial contributions to Liverpool was scoring two goals in the 2019 Champions League semi-final in a comeback against Barcelona.

Origi is regarded by supporters as a Liverpool “legend” who had the ability to turn around games quickly and score game-winning goals in stoppage time. His goals were sometimes unanticipated and frequently timed in an amazing way.

Origi has been a member of the Belgian national side since 2014. He was part of the squad at the 2014 WC where he became the youngest goal scorer in Belgian World Cup history as a 19-year-old. The AC Milan striker was dropped for the 2022 World Cup but will surely be back for future tournaments.

Current Club: AC Milan
Position: Striker
Caps: 32
Goals: 3

 2. Michy Batshuayi

Top 15 Belgian Football (Soccer) Players

Michy Batshuayi by soccer.ru Wikimedia Commons

Michy Batshuayi-Atunga, while not the most prolific striker in the world, is surely exciting and more often than not gets the job done. Starting off at Standard Liege, he has played for Marseille, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Valencia, Crystal Palace, and Besiktas, before moving to his current club Fenerbahce in Turkey.

Although he plays second fiddle to Romelu Lukaku, Michy is a reliable striker who can be trusted when Bolingoli is away. He was part of the sides that reached the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2016 and Euro 2020 and finished in third place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Michy started in Belgium’s 2022 World Cup opener against Canada since Lukaku was not fit enough for the game. He scored the winning goal of the match which Belgium won after a lacklustre performance.

Current Club: Fenerbahçe
Position: Striker
Caps: 49
Goals: 27

1. Kevin de Bruyne

Top 15 Belgian Football (Soccer) Players

Kevin De Bruyne by Wikimedia Commons

Kevin De Bruyne, arguably the best midfielder in the world right now, is a Manchester City and Belgian player. He is widely considered the best midfielder of his generation with many describing him as the ‘complete midfielder’.

De Bruyne has been the heart of Manchester City’s recent success. When it comes to position, De Bruyne typically plays as a right-sided “8” in Pep Guardiola’s preferred 4-3-3 formation at Manchester City. Having said that, De Bruyne can also operate in more forward areas of the field or deeper as a controlling midfielder.

De Bruyne began his career in Belgium at Genk and after 4 spectacular seasons, he moved to Chelsea. However, things did not go well in London and he moved to Germany to play for VfL Wolfsburg. After a season at Wolfsburg, he moved to Manchester City in 2015 where he has become a world-beater.

Kevin is a 4time Premier League winner and will be looking to win the Champions League which has eluded him so far. At the club level, he has been ever-present since 2010 and has played in all word cups since the 2014 one including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He was named the man of the match after Belgium’s opener against Canada which they won 1-0.

Current Club: Manchester City
Position: Midfielder
Caps: 95
Goals: 25

In terms of individual footballing quality, it rarely gets better than the Belgian national team. However, for some reason, they just didn’t seem to click in Qatar World Cup 2022. Kevin de Bruyne came out and admitted Belgium had “no chance” of winning the World Cup because the team was “too old”.  I guessed he jinxed the team because they bowed out of competition at the Group stages.

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