Have Belgium ever won the FIFA World Cup and can they win it in Qatar?

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Is 2022 finally going to be Belgium’s year? 

Apart from Portugal and the Netherlands, the Rote Duivels are perhaps the finest footballing nation never to have won the game’s most coveted prize. And, in truth, they’ve not really come all that close over the last 92 years either.

That third place finish in 2018 may have been viewed as a disappointment at the time – a missed opportunity, if you will – but it’s worth remembering that Belgium had only ever reached the semi-final stage once previously. And that was all the way back in 1986, when a baby-faced Gary Lineker was leading the line for England and Diego Maradona was enchanting the globe with his dizzying footwork and lackadaisical approach to fair play. 

Maradona scored both goals as Argentina broke Belgian hearts in Mexico ’86. It was France, and Samuel Umtiti, in 2018. At least some consolation can be taken from the fact that, on both occasions, Belgium lost to the eventual World Cup winners. 

Marc Wilmot’s side reached the quarter-finals in 2014 before being sent packing by Argentina (again). They were also knocked out in the round of 16 in 2002, 1994, 1990 and twice in the 1930s. 

Can Belgium win their first ever World Cup in Qatar?

And, with Thibaut Courtois, Eden Hazard, Kevin de Bruyne, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Axel Witsel, Dries Mertens and Thomas Meunier all the wrong side of 30, Qatar 2022 feels like ‘last chance saloon’ for many a member of this so-called ‘Golden Generation’. 

Roberto Martinez’s side will have a far from straightforward run into the latter stages this time around either. Croatia, in the Group Stages, represents an early and particularly tricky obstacle. And, should they progress, Belgium will more than likely go up against Spain or Germany in the round of 16. 

“After the World Cup in 2018, it was a real objective to become number one in the world,” former Wigan Athletic, Everton and Swansea City coach Martinez said back in March. “Because that is a way of measuring a national team’s consistency.

Top spot in the FIFA world rankings counts for little, however. Now, it’s time for international football’s great underachievers to finally make good on their potential. 

“To be number one (in the rankings) for four years is a tremendous achievement. (Especially) when you look at the size of the nation,” Martinez adds. “Only two national teams – Brazil and Spain – have had a longer period. 

“But now it is not an objective. It would be very irresponsible to concentrate on that. We’ve got bigger goals; developing the squad and trying to work to get us as prepared as we can for the World Cup.”