When it comes to the history of football, Belgium is the first mainland European country who played an association football match.
The first officially represent Belgium’s International football team since the maiden match in 1904.
As of 2015 October, they luckily got qualified in 12 FIFA World Cups and 5 UEFA European Championships.
The history of the Belgium football team is huge and this article is going to cover every aspect.
Stay tuned with us to know interesting facts about Belgium’s football history.
Content Summary
An Overview Of Belgium Football Team
The Belgium football team played their first FIFA World Cup in 1930, where they were drawn into Group A with Yugoslavia, Paraguay, and Romania.
Luckily, they managed to get a point from the match against Yugoslavia, but lost the other two matches and were eliminated.
In the 1934 World Cup, Belgium was drawn into Group D with Austria, Spain, and Brazil.
Unfortunately, they lost to Austria and Spain, but managed to beat Brazil, thus finishing in third place in the group and again being eliminated.
However, Belgium did not participate in the 1938 World Cup due to the outbreak of World War II.
During this time, Belgium did not qualify for either the 1954 or the 1958 World Cups.
In 1962, they finally returned to the FIFA World Cup, where they were drawn into Group A with Bulgaria, Chile, and Hungary.
Belgium won their first match against Hungary but lost to both Bulgaria and Chile, and was once again eliminated in the group stage.
In 1966, Belgium reached the semi-finals of the European Championship, where they lost to eventual champions West Germany.
Two years later, Belgium qualified for their first FIFA World Cup in 1962.
They were drawn into Group C with El Salvador, Mexico, and West Germany.
Luckily, Belgium won their first match against Mexico, but lost the other two matches and was eliminated.
The Belgium Football Team Stats
| FIFA Code | BEL |
| Current FIFA Ranking | #1 |
| World Cup Appearances | 13 |
| Nick Name | The Red Devils |
| Most Capped Player In The World Cup | Romelu Lukaku |
Belgium Football Team Playing History
| 1934 World Cup | Finished In 3rd Place & Being Eliminated |
| 1954 & 1958 World Cup | Not Qualified |
| 1962 World Cup | Won Against Hungary & Lost To Bulgaria & Chile |
| 1974 & 1978 World Cup | Did Not Participated |
| 1990 & 1994 World Cup | Not Qualified |
| 2002 & 2006 World Cup | Not Participated |
| 2010 World Cup | Only Reached In Quarter-Finals |
| 2014 World Cup | Drawn Into Group C With England, Panama, & Tunisia |
| 2018 World Cup | Only Reached To Semi-Finals |
Belgium Did Not Participated In The 1974 Or 1978 World Cups
In 1982, Belgium qualified for their fourth FIFA World Cup and was drawn into Group B with Poland, Portugal, and England.
Belgium’s next participation in a major tournament was at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, where they were drawn into Group A with Mexico, Paraguay, and Iraq.
They won their first match against Mexico, but lost the other two matches and were eliminated.
Belgium Did Not Qualify For Either The 1990 Or The 1994 World Cups
In 1998, Belgium finally qualified for another FIFA World Cup after missing out on the previous two.
But as a matter of fact, they were drawn into Group G with Mexico, the Netherlands, and South Korea.
Belgium won their first match against South Korea, but the other two teams take the lead, and Belgium was once again eliminated in the group stage.
Belgium’s next major tournament was UEFA Euro 2000, which they co-hosted with the Netherlands.
The Czech Republic, Denmark, and Russia were drawn into Group A.
Belgium Did Not Participate In The 2002 Or 2006 World Cups.
In 2010, Belgium finally reached the quarter-finals of a FIFA World Cup for the first time, after qualifying for every tournament since 1986.
They were drawn into Group H with Algeria, Korean Republic, and Russia.
Belgium won their first match against the Korea Republic, but lost to both Algeria and Russia, and was once again eliminated in the group stage.
Belgium Did Not Participate In The 2014 World Cup.
In 2018, Belgium qualified for their fifth FIFA World Cup and was drawn into Group G with England, Panama, and Tunisia.
They won all three of their matches and finished top of the group.
When round 16 came, Belgium beat Japan by a score of three goals to two.
In the quarter-finals, Belgium beat Brazil by a score of one goal to zero.
Whereas, in the semi-finals, Belgium beat France by a score of two goals to one.
Thus reaching their first-ever FIFA World Cup final. Belgium eventually lost the final by a score of four goals to two against Belgium.
Belgium has played in twelve FIFA World Cups, reaching the semi-finals twice and the final once.
They have won three matches, lost six, and drawn three.
Their best result was finishing third in 1986.
Conclusion
Belgium’s first-ever appearance in a FIFA World Cup was at the 1930 tournament in Uruguay, where they were drawn into Group A with Argentina, Chile, and France.
Belgium won their first match against France, but lost the other two matches and was eliminated in the group stage.
Although, Belgium did not participate in the 1934 or 1938 World Cups.
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