World Cup 2026: Belgian Media Unsparingly Criticizes National Team

Several major newspapers unanimously stated that the "Red Devils" delivered a below-par performance and were fortunate to hold onto a point. Local media assessed that the draw did not accurately reflect the match's dynamics, as Egypt was the side that created more trouble for most of the game. Many comments even suggested that Belgium was "luckier than deserving" to avoid defeat in their opening match.

Public broadcaster RTBF held a post-match analysis program featuring football experts. All agreed that Belgium encountered significant difficulties against Egypt's physical and aggressive style of play. Expert Nordin Jbari noted that Belgian players lacked the necessary toughness to handle their opponents and failed to generate sufficient pressure for most of the match.

During the live broadcast, RTBF concluded that Belgium was outplayed by Egypt for nearly an hour and could consider themselves fortunate to secure a draw after an unconvincing performance.

Newspaper La Libre, one of the largest French-language dailies in Belgium, described the team's performance as "a major disappointment." It stated that stars like Kevin De Bruyne and Leandro Trossard only really improved in the second half, while substitutes left a more noticeable impression.

Meanwhile, Le Soir focused on Romelu Lukaku's role with the headline "Lukaku, the savior of the nation." The striker came off the bench and nearly immediately contributed to the equalizer. However, even while praising Lukaku, the newspaper did not conceal its disappointment with the overall team performance.

Specialist football site Walfoot even gave harsher evaluations. Midfielder Amadou Onana was rated as the worst player of the match, while Leandro Trossard continued to face criticism for not meeting expectations in major tournaments. Still, the article's headline emphasized the familiar message: "Lukaku saved us."

From a tactical perspective, Eurosport's Belgian edition argued that Egypt deployed an effective defensive system, particularly by constantly assigning two to three players to closely mark Jeremy Doku. This nearly neutralized one of Belgium's most dangerous attacking threats.

Newspaper L'Avenir used the phrase "half-hearted start" to describe the Red Devils' opening match, stating that it was not a shameful performance but also nowhere near enough to reassure fans.

After the match, one of the most discussed topics in Belgian media was coach Rudi Garcia's personnel decisions. Many questioned whether Charles De Ketelaere still deserved a starting spot, and suggested that Romelu Lukaku should be given a starting role in the match against Iran on June 21.

The reactions from the press show that pressure is mounting significantly on the Belgian team from the very first days of the 2026 World Cup. Although there are still plenty of opportunities to correct mistakes in the group stage, the Red Devils understand that they need to greatly improve their performance if they want to meet the expectations of fans and experts.