Belgium national football team
Nickname(s) |
De Rode Duivels Les Diables Rouges Die Roten Teufel (The Red Devils) |
---|---|
Association | Royal Belgian Football Association (KBVB/URBSFA/KBFV)[upper-alpha 1] |
World Cup | |
Appearances | 12 (First in 1930) |
Best result | Fourth place, 1986 |
European Championship | |
Appearances | 5 (First in 1972) |
Best result | Runners-up, 1980 |
Medal record
|
The Belgian national football team has officially represented Belgium in association football since their maiden match in 1904. The squad is under the global jurisdiction of FIFA and is governed in Europe by UEFA—both of which were co-founded by the Belgian team's supervising body, the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA). Periods of regular Belgian representation at the highest international level, from 1920 to 1938 and 1970 to 2002, have alternated with mostly unsuccessful qualification rounds. Most of Belgium's home matches are played at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels.
Belgium's national team have participated in three quadrennial major football competitions. They appeared in the end stages of twelve FIFA World Cups and four UEFA European Football Championships, and featured at three Olympic football tournaments including the 1920 Olympic tournament which they won. Other notable performances are victories over four reigning world champions—West Germany, Brazil, Argentina and France—between 1954 and 2002. Belgium has longstanding football rivalries with its Dutch neighbours, the so-called Low Countries derby, and its French counterparts, having played both teams nearly every year from 1905 to 1967. The squad has been known as the Red Devils since 1906, and its supporters' group is named 1895.
During the national player career of striker Paul Van Himst, the most-praised Belgian footballer of the 20th century, Belgium took third place at Euro 1972. After that, the Belgian national squad experienced two golden ages with many gifted players. The first period lasted from the 1980s to the early 1990s, with the team finishing as runners-up at Euro 1980 and fourth in the 1986 World Cup. With the second golden generation, which emerged under guidance of Marc Wilmots in the early 2010s, Belgium topped the FIFA World Rankings for the first time in November 2015.
History
Belgium was one of the first mainland European countries to play association football.[7] Its practice in Belgium began after an Irish student walked into the Josephites College of Melle with a leather ball on 26 October 1863.[8] Initially, association football was an elitist pastime,[9] but during the following decades it supplanted rugby as Belgium's most popular football sport.[10] On 1 September 1895, ten clubs for football, athletics, cricket and cycling founded the Belgian sports association Union Belge des Sociétés de Sports Athlétiques (UBSSA);[11][1][10] a year later UBSSA organised the first annual league in Belgian football.[10]
On 11 October 1900, Beerschot AC honorary president Jorge Díaz announced that Antwerp would host a series of challenge matches between Europe's best football teams.[12] After some organisational problems, on 28 April 1901, Beerschot's pitch hosted its first tournament: the Challenge F. Vanden Abeele, between a Belgian A-squad and a Dutch B-team.[13] Belgium won,[14] and also beat Netherlands in all three follow-up games.[15] FIFA does not recognise these results because Belgium fielded some English players.[16] On 1 May 1904, the Belgians played their first official game, against France at the Stade du Vivier d'Oie in Uccle; their draw left the Évence Coppée Trophy unclaimed.[17] Twenty days later, the football boards of both countries and five other nations founded FIFA.[18] At that time, the Belgian squad was chosen by a committee drawn from the country's six or seven major clubs.[19] In 1910, former Scottish footballer William Maxwell became the first manager of the Red Devils.[20] Two years later, UBSSA began governing football only and was renamed UBSFA.[upper-alpha 3][1][10] During World War I, the national team played no official games but did encounter France in unrecognised friendlies.[21][22]
At the 1920 Summer Olympics, in their first official Olympic appearance, the Red Devils won the gold medal on home soil after a controversial final in which their Czechoslovak opponents left the pitch.[23] This triumph led them to an all-time-high second place in the World Football Elo Ratings.[6] In the three 1920s Summer Olympics, they achieved fair results (four wins in seven games),[24][25][26] and played their first intercontinental match, against Argentina. Over the following decade, however, Belgium lost all of their matches at the first three FIFA World Cup final tournaments.[27][28][29] According to historian Richard Henshaw "the growth of [football] in Scandinavia, Central Europe, and South America left Belgium far behind".[30] Although international football events were largely suspended in the 1940s because of World War II, the traditional derby against the Netherlands was kept alive with unofficial matches.[31][32]
Belgium qualified for only one of eight major tournaments during the 1950s and 1960s: the 1954 World Cup. According to journalist Henry Guldemont, some of his Swiss colleagues regarded the 1954 Belgian team as "favourites for the world title" after a promising draw in the opener against England.[33][34] However, they were eliminated after a loss to Italy in the second (and last) group match.[35] The day before the tournament began, the Belgian, French and Italian football boards founded UEFA.[36] Two bright spots in these decades were wins against World Cup holders: West Germany in 1954, and Brazil in 1963.[37] In between, Belgium also defeated Hungary's Golden Team in 1956.[37] The combination of failure in competitive games and success in exhibition matches gave the Belgians the mock title of "world champion of the friendlies".[38][39]
The team's performance improved during the early 1970s, under manager Raymond Goethals. Fully dressed in white, as the White Devils, Belgium had their first victories at World and European Championships at the 1970 World Cup and Euro 1972.[40][41] At that Euro appearance, their first, they finished third by winning the tournament's consolation match against Hungary. In 1973, the denial of a match-winning goal in their last 1974 World Cup qualifier cost Belgium their appearance at the finals.[42] The next two attempts to reach a major finals were also unsuccessful.[43][44] Beginning with a second-place finish at Euro 1980,[45] the 1980s and early 1990s are generally considered as Belgium's first golden age.[46] Coached by Guy Thys, Belgium achieved their spot in the 1980 final with an unbeaten record in the group phase, and lost the title to West Germany by a narrow loss.[45] Starting with the 1982 World Cup and ending with the 2002 World Cup, the national team qualified for six consecutive World Cup end stages and mostly progressed to the second round. In this period, managers Guy Thys, Paul Van Himst and Robert Waseige guided the Belgian team past the first round.[47] In addition to receiving individual FIFA recognitions, the team reached the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup.[48] After reaching the Euro 1980 final, the squad were unsuccessful at the continental level, with early exits from their appearances at Euro 1984 and Euro 2000.[49][50] During the late 1990s, they played three friendly tournaments in Morocco,[51] Cyprus[52] and Japan, sharing the 1999 Kirin Cup with Peru in the latter.[53] The greatest talents of the Belgian national team during this golden age were retired from international football by 2000,[54] yet in 2002, Belgium defeated reigning world champions France,[37] and reached the World Cup round of 16.[55]
After the 2002 World Cup, the team weakened with the loss of more veterans[56] and coach Waseige.[57] Belgium failed to qualify for five consecutive major finals from Euro 2004 until Euro 2012 and went through an equal number of head coaches.[47] In between, a promising new generation was maturing at the 2007 European U-21 Championship; Belgium's squad qualified for the following year's Summer Olympics in Beijing,[58] where the Young Red Devils squad finished fourth.[59] Seventeen of them appeared in the senior national team,[54] albeit without bringing the seniors immediate success. At the 2009 Kirin Cup, Belgium finished in second (and last) place,[60] and they lost against the 125th FIFA-ranked team of Armenia in September 2009.[61] After Georges Leekens' second stint as national manager,[62][63] assistant manager Marc Wilmots became the caretaker in May 2012.[64]
After two matches as interim coach, Wilmots agreed to fully replace Leekens.[65] Following his appointment, the team's performances improved,[66] with some foreign media considering it as another Belgian golden generation.[67][68][69][70] Belgium qualified as unbeaten group winners for the 2014 World Cup finals,[71] at which the young squad earned Belgium's second ever place in a World Cup quarter-finals with a four-game winning streak.[72] Belgium qualified for Euro 2016 with a match to spare in October 2015,[73] and took the top spot in the FIFA World Rankings for the first time in November 2015,[74] to stay first for five months.[61] In the 2018 World Cup qualifying allocation, they were seeded first in their group.[75][76]
Kit
In home matches, the team's outfield players traditionally play in the colours of the Belgian flag: black, yellow and red.[77][78] Red dominates the strip and is often the sole jersey colour,[78] hence the "Red Devils" nickname.[79] The away colours are usually white, black or both;[80] in 2014, the team introduced a third, yellow kit.[81] Their shirts are often trimmed with tricolores at the margins.[82] Since 1981, the RBFA emblem has been the national team's badge;[78][82] the previous badge was a yellow lion on a black shield,[80] similar to the escutcheon of the national coat of arms.[83]
For their first unofficial match in 1901, the Belgian team wore white jerseys with tricoloured bands on the upper arms.[84] Around Belgium's third unofficial game in 1902, it was decided that the players would wear a "shirt with national colours ... [that would indicate,] with a stripe, the number of times every player has participated in an encounter".[14] Since 1904, Belgium's classic all-red jersey design has been altered twice. In 1904–05, the squad briefly wore satin shirts with three horizontal bands in red, yellow and black; according to sports journalist Victor Boin, the shirts set "the ugliness record".[19] During the 1970s, manager Raymond Goethals chose an all-white combination to improve the team's visibility during evening matches;[82][85] as a result, they were temporarily known as the "White Devils".[85]
Six clothing manufacturers have supplied the official team strip. Since 2014, it has been produced by Adidas,[86] who also supplied sportswear to the squad from 1974 to 1980, and from 1982 to 1991.[87] Former kit manufacturers are Umbro (1970–1973),[82] Admiral (1981–1982),[87] Diadora (1992–1999),[87] Nike (1999–2010),[88] and BURRDA (2010–2014).[87]
Home stadium
A total of 23 national venues in 11 urban areas have hosted Belgium's home games.[47] Most of these matches have been played in Brussels at the Heysel Plateau, on the site of the present-day King Baudouin Stadium—a multipurpose venue with a seating capacity of 50,122.[89] Its field also hosts the team's final training sessions before domestic games. Since 2007, most physical preparation takes place at the National Football Centre in Tubize[90] or at Anderlecht's training ground in the Neerpede quarter.[91][92] Belgium's national stadium has hosted eight European Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finals,[93][94] and six European Championship games.[95][96]
In 1930, for the country's centennial, the venue was christened the Jubilee Stadium with an unofficial match between Belgium and the Netherlands.[97] At that time, the stadium had a capacity of 75,000.[98] In 1946, it was renamed Heysel Stadium after its city quarter. This new name became associated with the tragedy preceding the 1985 European Cup final between Juventus and Liverpool; after Liverpool fans charged a neutral area of the antiquated building, 39 spectators died.[99] Three years after the disaster, plans were unveiled for a renovation;[100] in 1995, after two years of work, the modernised stadium was named after the late King Baudouin.[101]
In May 2013, it was announced that King Baudouin Stadium would be replaced by Eurostadium, elsewhere on the Heysel Plateau;[102] two years later, a 2019 date was set for the stadium's completion.[103] In September 2014, UEFA named Brussels as one of the 13 host cities for the 2020 European Championship, with its new stadium hosting four games.[104]
Team image
Media coverage
The first live coverage of a football match of Belgium's national team was made on 3 May 1931 when journalist Gust De Muynck commentated on Belgium versus the Netherlands on radio—the first broadcast of a Belgian sporting event.[105] Later, football broadcasts were also made through television. As 59 per cent of Belgians speak Dutch and 41 per cent French, commentaries for the national team matches are provided in both languages. The games are not broadcast in German—the third official language in Belgium. During Belgium's tournament appearances in the 1980s and early 1990s, Rik De Saedeleer crowned himself the nation's most famous football commentator with his emotional and humorous reports.[106]
Initially the matches were mainly transmitted on public television channels: the former BRTN in Dutch and the RTBF in French. Since 1994, commercial channels such as vtm and its sister channel Kanaal 2, and VIER in Flanders, have purchased broadcasting rights.[1] UEFA assigned VRT and RTBF to be the Belgian broadcasting right holders for the Euro 2016 tournament.[107] The round-of-16 match against the United States at the 2014 World Cup was the most-watched television programme in Belgium so far, with an audience of over four million viewers out of 11.2 million Belgian citizens.[108]
In April 2014, the VRT started transmitting a nine-piece behind-the-scenes documentary about the national team filmed during the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, titled Iedereen Duivel ("Everybody Devil").[109] Cable broadband provider Telenet broadcast an eight-piece documentary about individual players titled Rode Helden ("Red Heroes").[110]
Actions
Around the team's popularity peak in the 2010s, multiple events were organised for the fans. During the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, a string of interactive actions titled the Devil Challenges were organised.[111] The premise was that small groups of international players would do a favour in return for each of the five comprehensive chores their supporters completed ("colour Belgium red", "gather 500,000 decibels", etc.), all of which were accomplished.[112] In June 2013, the Belgian national team's first ever Fan Day attracted over 20,000 supporters;[113] a second edition was held after the 2014 World Cup.[114] On the days of Belgium's 2014 World Cup group matches, large dance events titled Dance with the Devils (a pun on the title of a 2001 trance album)[115] took place in three Belgian cities.[116]
At some occasions the Belgian team overtly supported charity. In 1926, an unofficial match against the Netherlands was held exclusively as a charity fundraiser.[117] In mid-1986, when the Belgian delegation reached the Mexico World Cup semi-finals, the team started a project titled Casa Hogar on the impulse of delegation leader Michel D'Hooghe.[118] Casa Hogar is a home for street children in the industrial Mexican city Toluca, to which the footballers donated part of their tournament bonuses.[119] In August 2013, the national team supported four social projects via the charity fund Football+ Foundation, by playing an A-match with a plus sign on the shoulders of their jerseys and afterwards auctioning the shirts.[120][121]
In 2002, the national squad held a first anti-racism campaign in which they posed with slogans.[122] A home Euro 2012 qualifier was given the theme of respect for diversity in 2010; this UEFA-supported action was part of the European FARE Action Week.[123] Ex-Red Devil Dimitri Mbuyu—the first black Belgium player (in 1987)[54][124]—was engaged as godfather, and other foreign current and former footballers who played in the Belgian top division participated.[125]
Supporters
"Cycling is the traditional national sport of Belgium, but soccer is the most popular."
—Historian Richard Henshaw, 1979[10]
Fans of the Belgian national team display the country's tricolour national flag, usually with an emphasis on the red element. In 2012, local supporter clubs merged into one large Belgian fan federation named 1895 after the foundation year of the RBFA. One year later, 1895 had 24,000 members.[126] The nationwide interest in the football squad has also been reflected by the occasional presence of Belgian kings at their matches since 1914.[127][128][129] One of the greatest moments for the Belgian team and their 12th man was in mid-1986 when the Belgian delegation at the Mexico World Cup received a warm "welcome home". When the World Cup semi-finalists appeared on the balcony of Brussels Town Hall, the adjoining Grand Place square was filled with an ecstatic crowd that cheered as though their team had won a major tournament.[130]
After the six consecutive World Cup qualifications between 1982 and 2002, the team's failure to reach the end stages of the next five European and world championships meant a severe popularity strain for the national side. Between 2004 and 2010, local journalists described the Belgian footballing nation as "mortally ill".[131][132] Some fans kept supporting their team in the bad days; Ludo Rollenberg was one of the most loyal because he attended the team's games worldwide since 1990. He only missed the Japanese Kirin Cup in 1999 and two other matches by 2006,[133] and was the only supporter to attend their match in Armenia in 2009.[134] In 2008, hope surged when Belgium's U-23 won fourth place at the Olympics in Beijing;[59] several of these Olympians later appeared in the senior team.[54]
During the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, interactive actions called the Devil Challenges and a Fan Day strengthened the bond with supporters. Just before the kick-off of a home qualifier, Belgium's footballers saw a first tifo banner, sized 10.5 by 11.5 metres (34 by 38 ft) and depicting a devil in the national colours.[135] The presence of many Belgian players in top foreign leagues, such as the Premier League, and promising results under Marc Wilmots, increased fans' enthusiasm and belief in a successful World Cup campaign.[113][136] Because of this popularity peak, two Belgian monuments were decorated in national colours for the 2014 FIFA World Cup event; the Manneken Pis statue received a child-sized version of the new Belgian uniform,[137] while facets of the Atomium's upper sphere were covered in black, yellow and red vinyl.[138]
Nickname and logo
After a 1905 match, a Dutch reporter wrote that three Belgian footballers "work[ed] as devils".[139] A year later Léopold FC manager Pierre Walckiers nicknamed the players "Red Devils", inspired by the colour of their jerseys and the achievement of three consecutive victories in 1906.[79][37] Since 2012, the team logo is a red trident (or three-pronged pitchfork),[140] an attribute that is often associated with the devil. Before that, the national team has had three official anthropomorphous mascots. Their first was a lion in team kit named Diabolix,[141] a reference to the central symbol in the Belgian coat of arms that also appeared on the team jerseys from 1905 to 1980.[82] In accordance with their nickname, a red super-devil and a fan-made modern devil were the next mascots.[141]
Rivalries
Belgium's main football rivals are its neighbours the Netherlands and France, with which it shares close cultural and political relations.[142][143] The matchup between the Belgian and Dutch teams is known as the Low Countries derby;[97] as of March 2016 they have played each other in 125 official matches.[144] The clash between the Belgian and French sides is nicknamed le Match Sympathique in French ("the Friendly Match");[145] they have contested 73 official matches as of March 2016.[144]
Belgium won the first four matches against the Netherlands,[14][146] all of which were unofficial, but lost their first FIFA-recognised duel.[37] The two national teams played each other biannually between 1905 and 1964, except during the two World Wars.[37] They have met 18 times in major tournament campaigns and have played at least 35 friendly cup matches; the ones in Belgium were titled "Challenge F. Vanden Abeele", those in the Netherlands were called "Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad-beker".[47] The overall balance favours the Netherlands, with 55 wins against 41 Belgian victories.[144] The Low Countries squads co-operated in fundraising initiatives between 1925 and 1932; they played four unofficial matches for charity, FIFA and the Belgian Olympic Committee.[97][147]
The first match between Belgium and France, the Évence Coppée Trophy played in 1904, was the first official game for both teams and the first official football match between independent countries on the European continent.[148] Until 1967, the sides met almost annually.[37] As of March 2016, France has played most often against Belgium in international football.[144] Belgium have the better record, with 30 wins to France's 24 times.[144]
Management
Since 1904, the RBFA, 23 permanent managers and two caretaker managers have officially been in charge of the national team;[47] this implies at least selecting the footballers.[20] As of March 2016, a crew of over 20 RBFA employees guides the player group; it includes among others manager Marc Wilmots, his assistant Vital Borkelmans and goalkeeping coach Erwin Lemmens.[149] As of March 2016, Marc Wilmots is statistically the best performing Belgium manager, with an average of 2.22 points per match.[upper-alpha 4] The results led to Belgium's top FIFA Ranking spot in 2015 and earned Wilmots the title of Best Coach of the Year at the 2015 Globe Soccer Awards.[150] Under Guy Thys, the team achieved record results at World and European championships; World Soccer magazine accordingly proclaimed him Manager of the Year in 1986.[151]
Rather than developing innovative team formations or styles of play, Belgium's managers applied tactics that were common during their spells. At the three 1930s World Cups, the Red Devils were aligned in a contemporary 2–3–5 "pyramid".[27][28][29] In 1954, Doug Livingstone's team played in a 3–2–5 "WM" arrangement during World Cup matches.[35] Throughout most of their tournament games in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, the team played in a 4–4–2 formation.[40][152][153] Since Raymond Goethals' leadership in the 1970s, a key strength of the Belgian team was their systematic use of the offside trap,[154] a defensive tactic that was already intensively applied in the 1960s by Anderlecht coach Pierre Sinibaldi.[155] According to football journalist Wim De Bock, "master tactician" Goethals represented the "conservative, defensive football of the Belgian national team"; he said that in the 1970s the contrast between the Belgian playing style and the Total Football from their Dutch rivals "could not be bigger".[156]
In an attempt to win a game at the 1998 World Cup, Georges Leekens chose a 4–3–3 arrangement for Belgium's second and third group matches.[157] Robert Waseige, who coached Belgium around 2000, said that "above all, [his] 4–4–2 system [was] holy", in the sense that he left good attackers on the bench to keep his favourite formation.[158] Wilmots opted for the 4–3–3 line-up again,[159] with the intention of showing dominant football against any country.[160]
Players
Current
The following players were called up for the friendly game against Portugal on 29 March 2016, and were able to play.[161][162][163] After the 2016 Brussels bombings on 22 March, this fixture was moved from Brussels to Leiria, Portugal.[164]
Caps, goals and player numbers are correct as of 29 March 2016 after the game against Portugal.[165] Only FIFA-recognised matches are included.[upper-alpha 5]
Recent
The following footballers were part of a national selection in the past 12 months,[167][168][169][170][171] but are not part of the current squad.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GK | Matz Sels | 26 February 1992 | 0 | 0 | Gent | v. Spain,[lower-greek 1] 17 November 2015 |
DF | Toby Alderweireld INJ | 2 March 1989 | 52 | 1 | Tottenham Hotspur | v. Portugal, 29 March 2016 WD[163] |
DF | Jan Vertonghen INJ (3rd captain) | 24 April 1987 | 74 | 6 | Tottenham Hotspur | v. Spain,[lower-greek 1] 17 November 2015 |
DF | Thomas Meunier | 12 September 1991 | 5 | 0 | Club Brugge | v. Spain,[lower-greek 1] 17 November 2015 |
DF | Luis Pedro Cavanda | 2 January 1991 | 2 | 0 | Trabzonspor | v. Spain,[lower-greek 1] 17 November 2015 |
DF | Vincent Kompany INJ (Captain) | 10 April 1986 | 70 | 4 | Manchester City | v. Italy, 13 November 2015 WD[168] |
DF | Laurent Ciman | 5 August 1985 | 9 | 0 | Montreal Impact | v. Cyprus, 6 September 2015 |
DF | Anthony Vanden Borre | 24 October 1987 | 28 | 1 | Anderlecht | v. Wales, 12 June 2015 |
DF | Olivier Deschacht | 16 February 1981 | 20 | 0 | Anderlecht | v. Wales, 12 June 2015 |
MF | Yannick Ferreira Carrasco INJ | 4 September 1993 | 4 | 0 | Atlético Madrid | v. Portugal, 29 March 2016 WD[163] |
MF | Eden Hazard INJ (Vice-captain) | 7 January 1991 | 62 | 12 | Chelsea | v. Spain,[lower-greek 1] 17 November 2015 |
MF | Kevin De Bruyne INJ | 28 June 1991 | 34 | 11 | Manchester City | v. Spain,[lower-greek 1] 17 November 2015 |
MF | Steven Defour | 15 April 1988 | 46 | 2 | Anderlecht | v. Spain,[lower-greek 1] 17 November 2015 |
MF | Sven Kums | 26 February 1988 | 0 | 0 | Gent | v. Spain,[lower-greek 1] 17 November 2015 |
MF | Zakaria Bakkali | 26 January 1996 | 2 | 0 | Valencia | v. Israel, 13 October 2015 |
MF | Leander Dendoncker | 25 April 1995 | 1 | 0 | Anderlecht | v. Wales, 12 June 2015 |
MF | Youri Tielemans | 7 May 1997 | 0 | 0 | Anderlecht | v. Wales, 12 June 2015 |
FW | Christian Benteke INJ | 3 December 1990 | 24 | 6 | Liverpool | v. Portugal, 29 March 2016 WD[162] |
FW | Divock Origi INJ | 18 April 1995 | 16 | 3 | Liverpool | v. Portugal, 29 March 2016 WD[162] |
FW | Laurent Depoitre | 7 December 1988 | 1 | 1 | Gent | v. Spain,[lower-greek 1] 17 November 2015 WD[173] |
FW | Adnan Januzaj | 5 February 1995 | 5 | 0 | Manchester United | v. Cyprus, 6 September 2015 |
- Notes
- INJ = Not part of the current squad due to injury
- WD = Withdrew from this squad due to injury
Notable
Between 1904 and 1980, mainly attacking Belgium players were recognised as talented footballers. Before World War I, strikers Robert De Veen and Alphonse Six were famous; De Veen was very productive with 26 goals in 23 international appearances,[4] while historian Richard Henshaw described Six as "Belgium's greatest player in the prewar period ... [who] was often called the most skillful forward outside Great Britain".[30] The key player of the victorious 1920 Olympic squad was Robert Coppée, who scored a hat-trick past Spain's Ricardo Zamora.[174] Other outstanding Belgian players in the interwar period were topscorer Bernard Voorhoof[54] and "Belgium's football grandmaster" Raymond Braine,[175][176] both strikers.
Gifted players in the 1940s and 1950s included attackers Jef Mermans, Pol Anoul and Rik Coppens, and centre-back Louis Carré.[30] The 1960s and early 1970s were the glory days of forward and four-time Belgian Golden Shoe Paul Van Himst,[177] later elected as the Belgian UEFA Golden Player of 1954–2003[178] and Belgium's Player of the Century by IFFHS.[179] Decades after Coppens and Van Himst had retired from playing football, a journalist on a Flemish television show asked them, "Who [from both of you] was the best, actually?". Coppens replied, "I will ask Paul that ... If Paul says it was me, then he's right".[180] In 1966, striker Raoul Lambert and defending midfielder Wilfried Van Moer joined the national team;[54] while Lambert was praised for his skills at Euro 1972,[181] Van Moer won three Golden Shoes.[177]
Belgium has seen two talented waves since 1980, with several players in defensive positions gaining international fame. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Belgium's world-class footballers included goalkeepers Jean-Marie Pfaff[182][183] and Michel Preud'homme,[183][184] and midfielder Jan Ceulemans,[182][185] who played alongside right-back Eric Gerets,[186] midfielders Enzo Scifo[187] and Franky Van der Elst,[188] and strikers Luc Nilis[189] and Erwin Vandenbergh.[190] All of these players had retired from international football by 2000.[54]
During the 12 years in which Belgium qualified for no major tournaments, another golden generation matured, most of whom later featured in foreign top football leagues—in particular the English Premier League. As of July 2013, 12 Belgian national team players would play the next season in England's top division.[191] The attacking compartment of this generation comprises forwards Kevin Mirallas, Romelu Lukaku, Christian Benteke and Divock Origi, and wingers Eden Hazard, Dries Mertens and Kevin De Bruyne. The central midfield includes Mousa Dembélé, Marouane Fellaini, Axel Witsel and Radja Nainggolan. The defence consists of outfield players Vincent Kompany, Jan Vertonghen, Thomas Vermaelen and Toby Alderweireld, and goalkeepers Thibaut Courtois and Simon Mignolet.[67][69]
Competitive record
FIFA World Cup
Belgium failed to progress past the first round of their earliest five World Cup participations. After two scoreless defeats at the inaugural World Cup in 1930,[27] the team scored in their first-round knockout games in the 1934 edition and the 1938 edition—but only enough to save their honour.[28][29] In 1954, they tied with England (4–4 after extra time),[35] and in 1970 they won their first World Cup match, against El Salvador (3–0).[40] From 1982 until 2002, Belgium reached six successive World Cups by playing qualification rounds, and advanced to the second phase five times. In the 1982 FIFA World Cup opener, Belgium beat defending champions Argentina 1–0. Their tournament ended in the second group stage after a Polish hat-trick from Zbigniew Boniek and a 0–1 loss against the Soviet Union.[153]
At Mexico 1986, the Belgian team achieved their best-ever World Cup run. In the knockout phase as underdogs they beat the Soviets after extra time (3–4);[192] an unnoticed offside position of Jan Ceulemans, during the initial ninety minutes allowed him to equalise (2–2) and force the match into extra time.[193] They also beat Spain in a penalty shoot-out after a 1–1 draw, but lost to eventual champions Argentina in the semi-final 2–0, and France in the third place match (4–2).[48] In the 1990 FIFA World Cup, Belgium dominated periods of their second-round match against England;[194] Enzo Scifo hit the woodwork twice.[194] David Platt's volley in the final minute of extra time, described as "nearly blind" by Richard Witzig, led to the sudden elimination of the Belgians.[195]
In 1994, Belgium were eliminated in the second round again, losing to defending champions, Germany (3–2).[152] Afterwards, the entire Belgian delegation criticised referee Kurt Röthlisberger for not awarding a penalty for a foul on Belgian Josip Weber.[196] Three draws in the group stage of the 1998 World Cup, were insufficient for Belgium to reach the knockout stage.[157] With two draws, the 2002 FIFA World Cup started poorly for Belgium, but they won the decisive group match against Russia 3–2. In the second round, they faced eventual World Cup winners Brazil; Belgium lost 2–0 after Marc Wilmots' headed opening goal was disallowed due to a "phantom foul" on Roque Júnior.[55][197]
In 2014, Belgium beat all their group opponents with a single-goal difference.[72] Thereafter, they played an entertaining[198] round of 16 game against the United States, in which American goalkeeper Tim Howard made 15 saves[upper-alpha 6] however, they defeated the US 2–1 in extra time.[72] In a balanced quarter-final, Argentina eliminated Belgium, after a 1–0 victory.[200]
Belgium's FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Host nation(s) and year |
Round | Pos | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Squad | Outcome | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1930 | Round 1 | 11th of 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | Squad | Qualified as invitees | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1934 | 15th of 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | Squad | 2nd of 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1938 | 13th of 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | Squad | 2nd of 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1950 | Withdrew[201] | Withdrew | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1954 | Group stage | 12th of 16 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | Squad | 1st of 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1958 | Did not qualify | 2nd of 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1962 | 3rd of 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1966 | 1st of 4, playoff loss | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1970 | Group stage | 10th of 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | Squad | 1st of 4 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1974 | Did not qualify | 2nd of 4 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1978 | 2nd of 4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1982 | Group stage 2 | 10th of 24 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | Squad | 1st of 5 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1986 | Fourth place | 4th of 24 | 7 | 2 | 2* | 3 | 12 | 15 | Squad | 2nd of 4, playoff win | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1990 | Round of 16 | 11th of 24 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 4 | Squad | 1st of 5 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 15 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1994 | 11th of 24 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | Squad | 2nd of 6 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 16 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1998 | Group stage | 19th of 32 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | Squad | 2nd of 5, playoff win | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2002 | Round of 16 | 14th of 32 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 7 | Squad | 2nd of 5, playoff win | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2006 | Did not qualify | 4th of 6 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 16 | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2010 | 4th of 6 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 13 | 20 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2014 | Quarter-finals | 6th of 32 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 3 | Squad | 1st of 6 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2018 | To be determined | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total | Best: Fourth place | 12/20 | 41 | 14 | 9 | 18 | 52 | 66 | — | Total | 123 | 68 | 24 | 31 | 234 | 135 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
UEFA European Championship
With four successful qualification campaigns out of thirteen, Belgium's performance in the European Championship does not match their World Cup record. Belgium has hosted or co-hosted the event twice; they were chosen to host the 1972 European Football Championship from three candidates,[upper-alpha 7] and they hosted UEFA Euro 2000 with the Netherlands.[upper-alpha 8][50]
At Euro 1972, Belgium finished third after losing 1–2 against West Germany and beating Hungary 2–1.[41] The team's best continental result is their second place at the Euro 1980 in Italy. By finishing first in their group, Belgium reached the final, in which they faced West Germany. Horst Hrubesch scored first for West Germany, but René Vandereycken equalised courtesy of a penalty. Two minutes before the regular playing time ended, Hrubesch's scored again, to deny Belgium a first UEFA European Championship.[45]
At Euro 1984, in their last and decisive group match against Denmark, the Belgian team took a 0–2 lead, but the Danes won the match 3–2.[49] Sixteen years later, Belgium automatically reappeared at UEFA's national team tournament as co-hosts. After winning the Euro 2000 opener against Sweden 2–1,[204] two 2–0 losses against eventual runners-up Italy and Turkey eliminated the Belgians from the tournament by the end of the group stage.[50]
Belgium's UEFA European Championship record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Host nation(s) and year |
Round | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Outcome | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1960 | Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1964 | Did not qualify | Preliminary loss | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1968 | 2nd of 4 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1972 | Third place | 3rd of 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | Squad | Quarter-finals win | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1976 | Did not qualify | 1st of 4, playoff loss | 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1980 | Runners-up | 2nd of 8 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | Squad | 1st of 5 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1984 | Group stage | 6th of 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 8 | Squad | 1st of 4 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1988 | Did not qualify | 3rd of 5 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 16 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1992 | 3rd of 4 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1996 | 3rd of 6 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 13 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2000 | Group stage | 12th of 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | Squad | Qualified as hosts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2004 | Did not qualify | 3rd of 5 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 11 | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2008 | 5th of 8 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 14 | 16 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 3rd of 6 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 21 | 15 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2016 | Qualified | 1st of 6 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2020 | To be determined | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total | Best: Runners-up | 5/15 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 20 | — | Total | 104 | 49 | 26 | 29 | 170 | 112 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Summer Olympic Games
Football tournaments for senior men's national teams took place in six Summer Olympics between 1908 and 1936. The Belgian squad participated in all three Olympic football tournaments in the 1920s and won the gold medal on home soil in the 1920 edition.[24][25][26] Apart from the proper national team, two other Belgian delegations appeared at the Summer Olympics. At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a Belgian representation with mainly students won bronze,[205] and at the 2008 Summer Olympics, Belgium's U-23 selection placed fourth.[59]
Belgium's 1920 Olympic squad was given a bye into the quarter-finals, where they won 3–1 against Spain, and reached the semi-finals, where they beat the Netherlands 3–0. In the first half of their final against Czechoslovakia, the Belgians led 2–0.[24] Forward Robert Coppée converted a disputed early penalty, and the action in which attacker Henri Larnoe doubled the score was also a matter of debate. After the dismissal of the Czechoslovak left-back Karel Steiner, the discontented visitors left the pitch in the 40th minute. Afterwards, the away team reported their reasons for protest to the Olympic organisation;[23] these complaints were dismissed and the Czechoslovak's were disqualified.[30] The 2–0 score was allowed to stand and Belgium were crowned the champions.[30]
Belgium's Summer Olympic Games record | ||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Host nation, city and year |
Round | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | ||
Athens 1896 | No association football competition took place. | |||||||||
Paris 1900 | Tournaments played between clubs | |||||||||
St. Louis 1904 | ||||||||||
London 1908 | Did not enter | |||||||||
Stockholm 1912 | Withdrew before the tournament[206] | |||||||||
Antwerp 1920 | Winners | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | Squad | ||
Paris 1924 | Round 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | Squad | ||
Amsterdam 1928 | Quarter-finals | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 12 | Squad | ||
Los Angeles 1932 | No association football competition took place. | |||||||||
Berlin 1936 | Did not enter | |||||||||
London 1948 until |
From the 1948 till 1988 Olympic Games, amateur selections played; since 1992 Football at the Olympics became an under-23 tournament. | |||||||||
Total | 3/6, 1 title | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 21 | — | ||
|
Records and fixtures
As of March 2016, the complete official match record of the Belgian national team comprises 734 games: 300 wins, 158 draws and 276 losses.[47][upper-alpha 5] During these games, the team scored 1,243 times and conceded 1,214 goals. Belgium reached its highest winning margin against San Marino (10–1) and Zambia (9–0).[37] Their longest winning streak is seven wins in two periods and their unbeaten record is 14 consecutive official games.[upper-alpha 5][37]
The entire match record can be examined on the following articles:
- Results in chronological order lists all individual games.
- Record per opponent shows the head-to-head record against other footballing nations.
- Statistics per manager compiles an overview per managerial period.
Upcoming fixtures are listed on the 2010s results page. These include Belgium's appearance at UEFA Euro 2016 and the qualification matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Player records
As of 29 March 2016, Belgium's football association lists 680 players who appeared in the men's senior national team.[54][upper-alpha 9] Jan Ceulemans, who featured 96 times (8,256 minutes played), has the greatest number of caps.[54] He also started most often as team captain (48 times).[47] Hector Goetinck had the longest career as international footballer: 17 years, 6 months and 10 days.[47]
Bernard Voorhoof and Paul Van Himst are the highest-scoring Belgium players, with 30 goals each.[54] The players who scored the most goals in one match are Robert De Veen, Bert De Cleyn and Josip Weber (5);[47] De Veen also holds the record for the most hat-trick's with 3.[47] The youngest player in the senior team was Fernand Nisot, who was 16 years and 19 days old.[47][54] The oldest was Jean De Bie, who was still goalkeeper for Belgium at 38 years and 19 days old.[47][54]
See also
- Belgian Congo national football team (1948–60)
- Belgium national football B team
- Belgium national youth football team (U-15 – U-21 squads)
- Belgian Pro League
- Sport in Belgium
Footnotes
- ↑ The acronyms KBVB, URBSFA and KBFV come from the organisation's respective Dutch, French and German names: Koninklijke Belgische Voetbalbond, Union Royale Belge des Sociétés de Football-Association and Königliche Belgische Fußballverband.
The title of "Royal Union" was awarded on its 25th anniversary in 1920.[1]</ref>Confederation UEFA (Europe)Head coach Marc Wilmots[2]Captain Vincent Kompany[3]Most caps Jan Ceulemans (96)[4]Top scorer Bernard Voorhoof and
Paul Van Himst (30)[4]Home stadium King Baudouin StadiumFIFA code BELFirst coloursSecond colours
(Brussels, Belgium; 1 May 1904)Biggest win Belgium 9–0 Zambia
(Brussels, Belgium; 4 June 1994)
Belgium 10–1 San Marino
(Brussels, Belgium; 28 February 2001)Biggest defeat England Amateurs 11–2 Belgium
(London, England; 17 April 1909)[upper-alpha 2] - ↑ Note that this match is not considered to be a full international by the English FA, and does not appear in the England team records.<ref>Jostein Nygård (4 Dec 2014). "England – International Results". RSSSF. Retrieved 31 Aug 2015.
- ↑ UBSFA was the acronym for the organisation's French name: Union Belge des Sociétés de Football-Association.
In 1920 it received the title of "Royal Union" for its 25th year of existence, and hence became the Royal Belgian Football Association.[11] - ↑ According to the "three points for a win" standard
- 1 2 3 Note that the friendlies against Romania on 14 November 2012 and against Luxembourg on 26 May 2014 are not FIFA-recognised due to an excessive number of substitutions according to the Laws of the Game.[166]
- ↑ FIFA's initial match statistics showed 16 saves, and many news sources continue to use this number. The official FIFA statistics were updated on 5 July 2014 to show 15 saves.[199]
- ↑ The other bids were from England and Italy,[202] whose teams did not reach the semi-finals.[41]
- ↑ UEFA preferred the Belgium-Netherlands bid to the individual bids of Spain and Austria.[203]
- ↑ Note that the RBFA does not count caps earned in the Belgian seven Summer Olympics matches, and that it does include Belgium's friendlies on 14 November 2012 and 26 May 2014 that are not FIFA-recognised due to an excessive number of substitutions according to the Laws of the Game.[166]
References
- 1 2 3 4 "The RBFA's History". RBFA. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
- ↑ Ludo Vandewalle (11 Jun 2014). "Witte rook: Wilmots tekent contractverlenging". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 Jun 2014.
- ↑ George Ankers (10 Nov 2011). "Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen disappointed to lose Belgium captaincy to Manchester City's Vincent Kompany". Goal.com. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
- 1 2 3 Karel Stokkermans (24 Jul 2014). "Belgium – Record International Players". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 27 Oct 2014.
- ↑ "World Football Elo Ratings". World Football Elo Ratings website.
- 1 2 3 "World Football Elo Ratings: Belgium". World Football Elo Ratings website. Retrieved 18 Aug 2013.
- ↑ See:
- Goldblatt 2008, p. 120,
- de Vries 2007, p. 57,
- Kassimeris 2007, p. 12.
- ↑ Dries Vanysacker (21 May 2015). "Belgische voetbalgeschiedenis begon in Gent". Eos (in Dutch). Retrieved 13 Jun 2015.
- ↑ François Colin (1 Apr 2003). "REPORTAGE. ,,Kroniek van het Belgisch voetbal schetst ontstaan populairste sport". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Henshaw 1979, p. 75.
- 1 2 "Historique de l'URBSFA" (in French). RBFA. Retrieved 31 Oct 2015.
- ↑ Guldemont & Deps 1995, p. 64.
- ↑ Matty Verkamman (9 Jan 1999). "Interlandvoetbal om 'koperen dingetje'/Sporteeuw (2) – 1901". Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 Apr 2015.
- 1 2 3 Hubert 1980, p. 12.
- ↑ See:
- Hubert 1980, p. 13,
- Fraiponts 1981.
- ↑ Hubert 1980, p. 13.
- ↑ "Belgium v France − a 109-year-old rivalry". UEFA. 13 Aug 2013. Retrieved 15 Aug 2013.
- ↑ "History of FIFA – Foundation". FIFA. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- 1 2 Boin 1945.
- 1 2 Hassanin Mubarak (7 Aug 2003). "Belgium National Team Coaches". RSSSF. Retrieved 14 Sep 2013.
- ↑ "Belgium national football team match results, page 2". eu-football.info. Retrieved 23 Jan 2016.
- ↑ "Frankrijk–België". De Telegraaf (in Dutch) (Delpher). 21 Mar 1916. Retrieved 11 Jun 2015.
- 1 2 Juan Fauria í García (1993). "The 1920 Football (Soccer) Tournament" (PDF). ISOH magazine 1 (4): 5–7. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
- 1 2 3 Karel Stokkermans; Mikael Jönsson (26 Jun 2008). "Games of the VIII. Olympiad – Football Tournament". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 Karel Stokkermans; Mikael Jönsson (20 Jul 2010). "Games of the VIII. Olympiad – Football Tournament". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 Karel Stokkermans; Mikael Jönsson (20 Aug 2014). "Games of the IX. Olympiad – Football Tournament". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 3 "World Cup 1930 finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 3 "World Cup 1934 finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 3 "World Cup 1938 finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Henshaw 1979, p. 76.
- ↑ "Holland – België 4–5". Bataviaasch Nieuwsblad (in Dutch) (Delpher). 13 Oct 1941. Retrieved 11 Jun 2015.
- ↑ "Voetbal Nederland-België". Amigoe di Curaçao (in Dutch) (Delpher). 17 Jan 1944. Retrieved 11 Jun 2015.
- ↑ Guldemont 1978.
- ↑ Bilic, Pierre (3 Oct 2013). "de Rode Duivels in het collectieve geheugen". Sport/Voetbalmagazine (Roeselare: Roularta Media Group NV).
- 1 2 3 "World Cup 1954 finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Mark Chaplin (5 May 2014). "The birth of UEFA". UEFA.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Karel Stokkermans. "Belgium – List of International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 2 Sep 2013.
- ↑ "RETRO WK 1966: Engeland wint na meest omstreden goal van de eeuw, Duivels stranden in testmatch". voetbalnieuws.be (in Dutch). 31 May 2014. Retrieved 19 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Bernhart & Houtman 2014.
- 1 2 3 "World Cup 1970 finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 3 Karel Stokkermans; Martín Tabeira (31 Jan 2007). "European Championship 1972". RSSSF. Retrieved 10 Nov 2014.
- ↑ "Wonderbaarlijke ontsnappingen uit de Oranje-historie". de Volkskrant (in Dutch). 19 Nov 2003. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- ↑ Karel Stokkermans; Martín Tabeira (20 Jun 2013). "European Championship 1976". RSSSF. Retrieved 24 Oct 2015.
- ↑ Karel Stokkermans; Sergio Henrique Jarreta (3 Jan 2000). "World Cup 1978 Qualifying". RSSSF. Retrieved 24 Oct 2015.
- 1 2 3 Karel Stokkermans; Martín Tabeira (28 Mar 2007). "European Championship 1980". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- ↑ David Runciman (16 Jun 2014). "Why You Should (and Should Not) be Excited About Belgium's New Golden Generation". The New Republic. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Belgium national football team match results". eu-football.info. Retrieved 5 Sep 2013.
- 1 2 "World Cup 1986 finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 Barrie Courtney (19 Jun 2004). "European Championship 1984 – Final Tournament – Full Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 3 John Beuker; Karel Stokkermans (17 Jan 2004). "European Championship 2000". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Josef Bobrowsky (14 Jun 2000). "King Hassan II Tournament 1998". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "Cyprus Tournament 1999". FootballDatabase.eu. Retrieved 15 Aug 2013.
- ↑ José Luis Pierrend (11 Jun 2000). "Kirin Cup 1999". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "All Red Devils". RBFA. Retrieved 14 Aug 2013.
- 1 2 Erlan Manaschev (3 Jul 2008). "World Cup 2002 – Match Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "Markov : "België verzwakt door vertrek Wilmots-Verheyen"". Gazet van Antwerpen (in Dutch). 8 Sep 2002. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "Waseige resigns as Belgium coach". BreakingNews.ie. 17 Jun 2002. Retrieved 15 Mar 2014.
- ↑ Gunther De Vos (18 Jun 2007). "Sterke generatie schrijft geschiedenis". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 3 Karel Stokkermans (14 Mar 2013). "Games of the XXIX. Olympiad – Football Tournament". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Hamdan Saaid (16 Jul 2009). "Kirin Cup 2009". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 "FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA.
- ↑ Ludo Vandewalle; Gunther De Vos; Ki. V. (3 May 2010). "Georges Leekens dan toch bondscoach". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 Jul 2013.
- ↑ lbo; janm (13 May 2012). "Leekens verlaat Rode Duivels voor Club Brugge". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 10 Jul 2013.
- ↑ Maarten Delvaux; Bart Lagae (15 May 2012). "Marc Wilmots voorlopig interim-bondscoach". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 Jul 2013.
- ↑ janm (6 Jun 2012). "Marc Wilmots is nieuwe bondscoach tot 2014". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 Jul 2013.
- ↑ "Argentina go second, Belgium & Uruguay rise". FIFA. 12 Sep 2013. Retrieved 12 Sep 2013.
- 1 2 Tim Adams (24 Aug 2013). "Why Belgium is the hottest country in football". Esquire. Retrieved 15 Sep 2013.
- ↑ "FOOT – BEL : Une génération à faire pâlir d'envie". L'Équipe (in French). 14 Aug 2013. Retrieved 15 Apr 2014.
- 1 2 "Rote Teufel: Eine Goldene Generation mit königsblauer Disziplin". Bild (in German). 11 Sep 2013. Retrieved 15 Sep 2013.
- ↑ John Sinnott (10 Sep 2013). "Will Belgium win the World Cup?". CNN. Retrieved 15 Sep 2013.
- ↑ Karel Stokkermans; Juan Pablo Andrés; Erik Francisco Lugo (18 Jun 2015). "World Cup 2014 Qualifying". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 3 Neil Morrison (24 Jul 2014). "World Cup 2014 – Match Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "Belgium stroll past Andorra to qualify". UEFA. 10 Oct 2015. Retrieved 3 Nov 2015.
- ↑ "Belgium go top, Chile and Austria soar". FIFA. 5 Nov 2015. Retrieved 5 Nov 2015.
- ↑ "FIFA World Cup qualifying draw format". UEFA. 16 Jun 2015.
- ↑ "FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking – July 2015 (UEFA)". FIFA. 9 Jul 2015. Retrieved 9 Jul 2015.
- ↑ "Belgium". Flags of the World. 6 Jun 2009. Retrieved 3 Oct 2009.
- 1 2 3 "Historical Football Kits". Historical Football Kits. Retrieved 14 Jul 2013.
- 1 2 Guldemont & Deps 1995, p. 65.
- 1 2 "GOAAAL! Fotomontage Rode Duivels" (in Dutch). Belgisch Rijksarchief. Retrieved 20 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Maarten Delvaux (27 Feb 2014). "Met deze shirts spelen Rode Duivels op het WK". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 May 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Fotocollectie" (in Dutch). gahetNA (Genootschap voor het nationaal archief, het Nationaal Archief, Spaarnestad Photo). Retrieved 7 Nov 2014.
- ↑ "Heraldic emblem and motto". Belgian Federal Government. Retrieved 31 Oct 2015.
- ↑ Fraiponts & Willocx 2003.
- 1 2 Bart Lagae (23 May 2002). "WK-GESCHIEDENIS. 1970. Witte Duivels smelten weg in Mexico". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 Apr 2015.
- ↑ "New Adidas Belgium 2014–15 Kits Released". Footy Headlines. 14 Aug 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 Ludo Vandewalle (24 May 2014). "Adidas na WK wellicht nieuwe kledingsponsor Duivels". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch).
- ↑ Sander Van den Broecke (1 Jul 1999). "Rode Duivels in "rood, klassiek en rustig" shirt". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 Jul 2013.
- ↑ "History King Baudouin Stadium". RBFA. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ↑ Ludo Vandewalle (4 Sep 2007). "Duivels trainen voor het eerst in Tubeke". De Standaard (in Dutch).
- ↑ arvn (23 Mar 2013). "Rode Duivels trainen ontspannen in Neerpede". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 31 Aug 2015.
- ↑ vml (31 Aug 2015). "Bosniërs trainen al eerste keer op Belgische bodem". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 31 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "UEFA Champions League – Statistics Handbook 2012/13" (PDF). UEFA. UEFA. pp. 128–135. Retrieved 22 Sep 2013.
- ↑ "UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: All-time finals". UEFA. 30 Jun 2005. Retrieved 10 Aug 2014.
- ↑ "UEFA EURO 1972 - History - Germany-USSR". UEFA. 3 Oct 2003. Retrieved 12 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Pierre Winkler (17 Jan 2004). "European Championship 2000 – Full Details Final Tournament". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 3 Karel Stokkermans (6 Mar 2014). "The "Derby der Lage Landen"". RSSSF. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- ↑ "België slaat Nederland met 4–1". Algemeen Handelsblad (in Dutch) (Delpher). 15 Sep 1930. Retrieved 8 Sep 2015.
- ↑ Andrew Hussey (3 Apr 2005). "Lost lives that saved a sport". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 15 Jun 2006.
- ↑ "Heyzel-stadion wordt gesloopt". De Telegraaf (in Dutch) (Delpher). 29 Nov 1988. Retrieved 29 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "Stadion – Geschiedenis – Koning Boudewijnstadion" (in Dutch). Vzw Prosport Brussel. Retrieved 12 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Geert Sels (25 May 2013). "Koning Boudewijnstadion wordt afgebroken". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 Jul 2013.
- ↑ mvd; lej (20 Jun 2015). "Anderlecht speelt vanaf 2019 in nieuw stadion". De Standaard (in Dutch).
- ↑ "Wembley to stage UEFA EURO 2020 final". UEFA. 19 Sep 2014.
- ↑ "Archiefmeester: Radio & voetbal" (in Dutch). Radio 1. 16 Mar 2014. Retrieved 13 Apr 2014.
- ↑ Joeri Vlemings (5 Mar 2013). "Rik, de dertiende man van de Rode Duivels". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 May 2014.
- ↑ "UEFA announce EURO broadcasting rights deal". UEFA. 24 Jun 2015. Retrieved 24 Jun 2015.
- ↑ "'t Is gebeurd: België-USA breekt kijkcijferrecord". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 2 Jul 2014. Retrieved 8 Nov 2014.
- ↑ "Nieuwe Vrt-reeks kijkt mee achter de schermen van de Rode Duivels". De Standaard (in Dutch). 3 Apr 2014. Retrieved 3 Apr 2014.
- ↑ "Docureeks 'Rode Helden' op Sporting Telenet" (in Dutch). Telenet. 25 Apr 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- ↑ "The Challenges". IAB Community. Retrieved 7 Apr 2015.
- ↑ "Duiveluitdagingen stuwen Duivels naar Brazilië" (in Dutch). Sporza. 15 Oct 2013. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
- 1 2 "Groot succes: 20.000 fans op eerste fandag Rode Duivels". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 2 Jun 2013. Retrieved 30 Jun 2013.
- ↑ Kim De Raedt; Lin Louage (6 Jul 2014). "Rode Duivels bedanken 'beste supporters ter wereld' met fandag". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 Jul 2014.
- ↑ "D-Devils – Dance With The Devil". Discogs. Retrieved 11 Jun 2014.
- ↑ "Dance with the Devils op 17, 22 en 26 juni" (in Dutch). Sportpaleis. 14 Feb 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
- ↑ "Nederlandsch bondselftal–Belgisch bondselftal.". Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant (in Dutch) (Delpher). 28 Aug 1926. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
- ↑ Adolfo Garza (22 Jun 1998). "Bélgica en el alma". La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 Aug 2015.
- ↑ François Colin (10 Jun 2011). "RETRO. Ceulemans: 'Voor mij blijft EK 80 het hoogtepunt'". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 Nov 2015.
- ↑ "Bied op de wedstrijdshirts van België-Frankrijk" (in Dutch). RBFA. 8 Aug 2013. Retrieved 15 Aug 2013.
- ↑ "Football+ Foundation" (in Dutch). RBFA. 9 Aug 2013. Retrieved 1 Sep 2013.
- ↑ "GOAAAL! Voetbalaffiches" (in Dutch). RBFA. Retrieved 14 Jul 2013.
- ↑ "European Action Week against discrimination in football to kick off next week". Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation. 8 Oct 2010. Retrieved 27 Jul 2013.
- ↑ Pierre Danvoye (2 Jul 2013). "Mununga: 'Ik was te naïef'". Sport/Voetbalmagazine (in Dutch) (Roeselare: Roularta Media Group NV). Retrieved 14 Aug 2013.
- ↑ "Les Diables contre le racisme" (in French). RTBF. 11 Oct 2010. Retrieved 24 Oct 2015.
- ↑ "1895, een gigantisch succes" (in Dutch). RBFA. 24 Jun 2013. Retrieved 9 Jul 2013.
- ↑ "Sport". Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad (in Dutch) (Delpher). 26 Feb 1914. Retrieved 8 Sep 2015.
- ↑ F. Vranckx (7 Jun 2013). "Ook koning Albert vanavond naar de Heizel". Gazet van Antwerpen (in Dutch). Retrieved 8 Sep 2015.
- ↑ "Rode Duivels staan op tegen Bosnië-Herzegovina" (in Dutch). Sporza. 3 Sep 2015. Retrieved 8 Sep 2015.
- ↑ "België trakteert zijn helden op een volksfeest" (in Dutch). Sporza. 20 Jun 2011. Retrieved 30 Jun 2014.
- ↑ Bennie Luyten (18 Nov 2004). "'Ons voetballand is doodziek'" (in Dutch). sport.be.msn.com. Retrieved 18 Jul 2013.
- ↑ "Advocaat laat Rode Duivels doodziek achter". belgiumsoccer.be (in Dutch). 15 Apr 2010. Retrieved 18 Jul 2013.
- ↑ "De enige echte fan van België". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 5 Oct 2006. Retrieved 30 Jun 2013.
- ↑ Ludo Vandewalle (9 Sep 2009). "De eenzame Duivels-supporter". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 Jun 2013.
- ↑ "De Rode Duivels zien vanavond hun eerste tifo" (in Dutch). Sporza. 6 Jun 2013. Retrieved 4 Jul 2013.
- ↑ "Peiling: 'Rode Duivels raken tot in kwartfinales'". voetbalnieuws.be (in Dutch). 17 Oct 2013. Retrieved 22 Nov 2015.
- ↑ "Manneken Pis in WK-shirt Rode Duivels". De Standaard (in Dutch). 7 Mar 2014. Retrieved 22 Mar 2014.
- ↑ Lin Louage (13 Jun 2014). "Atomium-bol in zwart, geel en rood". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 Jun 2014.
- ↑ "Den wedstrijd om den Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad-Beker". Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad (in Dutch) (Delpher). 16 May 1905. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ↑ "Nieuw logo Rode Duivels" (in Dutch). MNM (radio). 17 Aug 2012. Retrieved 28 Mar 2015.
- 1 2 mcu (6 Feb 2007). "Nieuwe mascotte voor Rode Duivels". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 Jul 2014.
- ↑ "Relations to the Netherlands – Belgium". Government of the Netherlands. Retrieved 20 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "La France et la Belgique" (in French). France Diplomatie. Retrieved 22 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "FIFA Tournaments – Compare Teams". FIFA. Retrieved 16 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Guus Van Holland (11 Dec 1999). "De Rode Duivels". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Fraiponts 1981.
- ↑ "De extra België-Holland-wedstrijd.". Soerabaijasch Handelsblad (in Dutch) (Delpher). 26 Apr 1932. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
- ↑ Karel Stokkermans (6 Mar 2014). "The "match sympatique" [sic]". RSSSF.
- ↑ "Red Devils Staff". RBFA. Retrieved 25 Apr 2015.
- ↑ "Globe Soccer Awards : le triplé pour le Barça, le doublé pour New York City". L'Équipe (in French). 27 Dec 2015. Retrieved 27 Dec 2015.
- ↑ Jamie Rainbow (14 Dec 2012). "World Soccer Awards – previous winners". World Soccer. Retrieved 29 Apr 2015.
- 1 2 "World Cup 1994 finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 "World Cup 1982 finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "Cools make it too hot for Spain". The Glasgow Herald (Google News). 16 Jun 1980. Retrieved 30 Jun 2014.
- ↑ Jean-Claude Matgen (27 Jan 2012). "Sinibaldi, le Béjart mauve". La Libre (in French). Retrieved 9 Jul 2013.
- ↑ De Bock 2013.
- 1 2 "World Cup 1998 finals". RSSSF. Retrieved 17 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Ludo Vandewalle (5 Oct 1999). "Behoudsgezinde bondscoach Robert Waseige verandert slechts uit noodzaak" (in Dutch). De Standaard. Retrieved 18 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Stéphane Vande Velde; Pierre Bilic (8 Oct 2014). "Marc Wilmots wil sommige Rode Duivels meer vrijheid geven". Sport Voetbalmagazine (in Dutch).
- ↑ "Wilmots: "Dominant en intelligent proberen te spelen"" (in Dutch). Sporza. 10 Sep 2012. Retrieved 18 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "Wilmots roept Engels, Thorgan Hazard en Guillaume Gillet op, geen Musonda" (in Dutch). Sporza. 18 Mar 2016. Retrieved 18 Mar 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Origi en Benteke out voor Portugal, Mirallas opgeroepen" (in Dutch). Sporza. 24 Mar 2016. Retrieved 28 Mar 2016.
- 1 2 3 mtm (28 Mar 2016). "Alderweireld haakt af voor Portugal". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 Mar 2016.
- ↑ "Portugal - Belgium : 29/03 in Leiria". RBFA. 23 Mar 2016. Retrieved 23 Mar 2016.
- ↑ "Portugal v Belgium live football scores". ESPN FC. 29 Mar 2016. Retrieved 1 Apr 2016.
- 1 2 "Rules & Governance – Law 3: The number of players". The FA. Retrieved 25 Oct 2014.
- ↑ "Wilmots haalt Batshuayi weer bij de Duivels, geen plaats voor Kums" (in Dutch). Sporza. 6 Nov 2015. Retrieved 6 Nov 2015.
- 1 2 "De Bruyne en Batshuayi bezorgen België prestigieuze zege" (in Dutch). Sporza. 13 Nov 2015. Retrieved 21 Nov 2015.
- ↑ "24 Rode Duivels voor Andorra en Israël" (in Dutch). RBFA. 2 Oct 2015. Retrieved 2 Oct 2015.
- ↑ "Vermaelen voor het eerst sinds WK weer Rode Duivel" (in Dutch). Sporza. 28 Aug 2015. Retrieved 28 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "Dendoncker en Tielemans voor het eerst bij Rode Duivels" (in Dutch). Sporza. 22 May 2015. Retrieved 2 Sep 2015.
- ↑ "Rode Duivels - Spanje: afgelast" (in Dutch). RBFA. 17 Nov 2015. Retrieved 17 Nov 2015.
- ↑ bla; vml (16 Nov 2015). "Hazard wellicht speelklaar voor Spanje, Depoitre out". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 Nov 2015.
- ↑ "Olympic Football Tournament Antwerp 1920 – Belgium 3:1 (1:0) Spain – Overview". FIFA. Retrieved 26 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "Raymond Braine nog steeds België's voetbalgrootmeester". De Telegraaf (in Dutch) (Delpher). 9 Oct 1941. Retrieved 13 Jun 2015.
- ↑ Jeřábek 2007, p. 25.
- 1 2 "Van Himst en Anderlecht kapen de Gouden Schoen" (in Dutch). Sporza. 22 Jan 2014. Retrieved 26 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Berend Scholten (21 Jan 2011). "Belgium still bows to Van Himst". UEFA. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
- ↑ Marcelo Leme de Arruda (21 Jan 2000). "IFFHS' Players and Keepers of the Century for many countries". RSSSF. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- ↑ "Coppens: "Als Paul zegt dat ik het was, dan heeft hij gelijk"" (in Dutch). Sporza. 6 Feb 2015. Retrieved 11 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "1972 team of the tournament". UEFA. 2 May 2011. Retrieved 23 Jan 2015.
- 1 2 "FIFA World Cup All-Star Team – Football world Cup All Star Team". Football.sporting99.com. Retrieved 28 Jun 2012.
- 1 2 José Luis Pierrend. "IFFHS' World's Best Goalkeeper of the Year". RSSSF. Retrieved 5 Feb 2013.
- ↑ "FIFA World Cups: Awards" (PDF). FIFA. Retrieved 19 Jun 2007.
- ↑ Witzig 2006, p. 166.
- ↑ Matthew Joseph Valler (3 Jul 2014). "Hall of Fame: Eric Gerets". FootballOranje.com. Retrieved 25 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "FIFA Classic Player: Scifo, a Red Devil with divine gifts". FIFA. Retrieved 2 May 2015.
- ↑ "Pele's list of the greatest". BBC. 4 Mar 2004. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
- ↑ Michiel Verheirstraeten (15 Jun 2011). "Ronaldo: 'Het klikte het beste met Luc Nilis'". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "European Golden Shoe". European Sports Media. Retrieved 19 Jun 2012.
- ↑ Willems 2013.
- ↑ Glen Levy (18 May 2010). "Top 10 World Cup Games – 3. Belgium 4–3 USSR 1986". Time. Retrieved 25 Apr 2015.
- ↑ vml (21 Jun 2014). "'Duivelsvloek' houdt al 28 jaar stand tegen Rusland, morgen ook?". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 Sep 2015.
- 1 2 Edworthy 1997, pp. 138–139.
- ↑ Witzig 2006, p. 167.
- ↑ Fred Buddenberg (4 Jul 1994). "Belgen furieus op Röthlisberger". Trouw (in Dutch). Retrieved 20 Sep 2015.
- ↑ Witzig 2006, p. 289.
- ↑ Carl Bialik (10 Jul 2014). "U.S. vs. Belgium Was the Best Match of the World Cup So Far". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved 25 Apr 2015.
- ↑ "Official FIFA statistics, updated 5 July 2014" (PDF). FIFA. 5 Jul 2014. Retrieved 29 Dec 2014.
- ↑ "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil – Matches – Argentina-Belgium – Live Statistics". FIFA. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Lisi 2007, p. 47.
- ↑ "Sportflitsen". De Tijd (in Dutch) (Delpher). 14 Mar 1972. Retrieved 19 Sep 2015.
- ↑ Schulze-Marmeling 2008.
- ↑ "Belgium start with a bang". UEFA. 10 Jun 2000. Archived from the original on 5 Jan 2001. Retrieved 30 Jun 2013.
- ↑ Søren Elbech; Karel Stokkermans (21 Jul 2011). "Games of the II. Olympiad – Football Tournament". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 Aug 2015.
- ↑ Swedish Olympic Committee 1913, p. 483.
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- Jeřábek, Luboš (2007). Ceský a ceskoslovenský fotbal – lexikon osobností a klubu (in Czech). Prague: Grada Publishing. ISBN 978-80-247-1656-5.
- Kassimeris, Christos (2007). European Football in Black and White: Tackling Racism in Football. Lanham, Maryland: Lexington Books. ISBN 978-0-7391-1959-4.
- Lisi, Clemente Angelo (2007). A history of the World Cup: 1930–2006. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-5905-0.
- Schulze-Marmeling, Dietrich (2008). Die Geschichte der Fußball-Europameisterschaft (in German). Göttingen: Verlag Die Werkstatt. ISBN 978-3-89533-553-2.
- Swedish Olympic Committee (1913). Erik Bergvall, ed. The Official Report of the Olympic Games of Stockholm 1912 (PDF). Stockholm: Wahlstrom and Widstrand.
- Willems, Raf (2013). Sympathy for the Devils (in Dutch). Tielt: Lannoo. ISBN 978-94-014-0758-8.
- Witzig, Richard (2006). The Global Art of Soccer. Harahan: CusiBoy Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9776688-0-9.
Further reading
- Aerts, Bart; Buyse, Frank; Colin, François; Cornez, Pierre; Decoster, Gilles; Deferme, Dirk; et al. (2013). De Rode Duivels. Het officiële boek (in Dutch). Veurne: Uitgeverij Kannibaal. ISBN 978-94-91376-66-5.
- Colin, François (2014). De Rode Duivels 1900–2014 (in Dutch). Veurne: Uitgeverij Kannibaal. ISBN 978-94-91376-77-1.
- Hubert, Christian (1994). De Montevideo à Orlando (in French). Brussels: Labor. ISBN 978-2-8040-1009-6.
- Hubert, Christian (2006). Le siècle des Diables Rouges (in French). Brussels: Luc Pire. ISBN 978-2-87415-684-7.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Belgium national football team. |
- RBFA official website (Dutch) (English) (French)
- FIFA team profile
- ELO team records
- Belgian national team news website (French)
- Official supporters' federation 1895 (Dutch) (French)
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