Belgium announce squad for June international window; Kevin De Bruyne included

Rajarshi has been part of Khel Now since 2022, and he covers world football.

Published at :May 21, 2025 at 5:31 PM

Modified at :May 21, 2025 at 5:31 PM

(Courtesy : Getty Images)

The Red Devils will play North Macedonia and Wales in the qualifiers.

One day after FIFA confirmed the 20-year-old’s change of nationality, Belgium picked up uncapped left-back Diego Moreira. He will join their national football team beginning from their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign next month.

Born in Belgium, Moreira played for the country’s under-15 team before deciding to play for Portugal. In March, he played for the country’s under-21 team in a 4-2 loss to England at The Hawthorns.

Rudi Garcia, the new coach of Belgium, convinced him to change sides. On Tuesday, he announced a 26-man roster for Group J qualifying matches. They will take on North Macedonia in Skopje on June 6 and Wales in Brussels on July 9.

Even though Kevin De Bruyne is leaving Manchester City at the end of the current campaign, he will continue to serve as the captain of the national team.

Garcia has additionally picked up Charles De Ketelaere, a forward for Atalanta. He contributed a goal off the bench in his team’s 3-2 victory over Genoa on Saturday, giving him 13 goals and 13 assists for the 2024–25 season.

Romelu Lukaku of Napoli, Belgium’s all-time top scorer, is included. He is anticipated to start at the top of the offensive line for the forthcoming World Cup qualifying matches.

Alexis Saelemaekers joins him. During his time at AS Roma on loan from AC Milan, he had six goals and six assists.

Belgium announce squad for World Cup qualifiers

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Antwerp), Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest), Maarten Vandevoort (RB Leipzig)

Defenders: Zeno Debast (Sporting Lisbon), Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge), Koni De Winter (Genoa), Wout Faes (Leicester City), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Diego Moreira (Strasbourg), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City), Jorthy Mokio (Ajax Amsterdam), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Alexis Saelemaekers (AS Roma), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge)

Forwards: Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Malick Fofana (Olympique Lyonnais), Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Dodi Lukebakio (Sevilla), Lois Openda (RB Leipzig), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal).

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Rajarshi Shukla

After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.