FIFA Ranking: 11(Last Updated 05 Jun 2014)
History: Belgium qualified for six straight World Cups from 1982 to 2002, reaching the knockout phase five times and coming fourth in 1986. They missed out on the 2006 and 2010 editions. This is their 12th appearance in the world`s premier football competition.
Qualifying Report: Belgium, qualified directly for the 2014 FIFA World Cup with having topped their group unbeaten. They won a record eight matches in the qualifiers and played in emphatic fashion to overcome threats from Croatia and Serbia teams.
Star Players: Eden Hazard is Belgium`s stalwart. He plays for Chelsea (England) at club level and is regarded as one of the world`s best final third attackers in modern day football. Hazard holds key in opening up the opposition with his intricate play. His clever runs have been a success for both club and country.
Romelu Lukaku is one of the best young strikers in the globe right now. He plays for Everton as he is on loan from Chelsea. The Belgian will be the main weapon up front for the Red Devils. He has been a key figure in Marc Wilmots` set-up.
Top Scorer during WC Qualification 2014: Kevin de Bruyne (4)
Top scorer at the Cup: Marc Wilmots (5)
Most World Cup caps: Enzo Scifo (17)
Team record at the Cup: M: 36, W: 10, D: 9, L: 17
Coach: Marc Wilmots was elevated as the national coach in June 2012 after spending three years as an assistant. His managerial CV was restricted to undistinguished spells at Bundesliga side Schalke and the Belgian outfit St Truiden, but he did guide Belgium from 54th to a best-ever fifth in the FIFA rankings along with a dream World Cup qualification.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Atletico Madrid, on loan from Chelsea), Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Sammy Bossut (Zulte Waregem)
Defenders: Toby Alderweireld (Atlético Madrid), Laurent Ciman (Standard Liege), Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Nicolas Lombaerts (Zenit), Daniel Van Buyten (Bayern Munich), Anthony Vanden Borre (Anderlecht), Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal), Jan Vertonghen (Tottenham)
Midfielders: Nacer Chadli (Tottenham), Steven Defour (Porto), Moussa Dembele (Tottenham), Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United), Axel Witsel (Zenit).
Forwards: Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg), Eden Hazard (Chelsea), Adnan Januzaj (Manchester United), Romelu Lukaku (Everton), Dries Mertens (Napoli), Kevin Mirallas (Everton), Divock Origi (Lille).
Group listing: Group H - Russia, South Korea and Algeria.
Fixtures:
June 17: Belgium v Algeria, Belo Horizonte
June 22: Belgium v Russia, Rio de Janeiro
June 26: South Korea v Belgium, Sao Paulo