FIFA World Cup: Belgium seeks to match potential with good performance

Ranked third in the world by FIFA, the Red Devils boast top-level Premier League performers in its side and will be one of the firm favourites to lift the World Cup trophy on July 15 in Moscow. Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne will join Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard in a dominant midfield and will be expected to produce the chances for Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku, who at 25 is already the country’s top scorer with 33 goals.

Twenty-six-year-old De Bruyne has been the linchpin with Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking English champion Manchester City, registering more assists than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues since 2012. Hazard has failed to help Chelsea retain its league crown but is still the club’s top performer.

Mousa Dembele will add steel to the creativity, while the defence will be marshalled by players such as Tottenham Hotspur duo Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld, who has recently struggled to get much game time. Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois will man the goal, helping to provide the side with an ideal mix of the exuberance of youth and the experience required in the latter stages of the tournament.

It has indicated it is capable of attaining that, cruising through its World Cup qualification group and becoming the first European nation to secure its spot for the finals. Belgium finished as Group H winner in European qualifying, winning nine games and drawing one, and scoring an astounding 43 goals in the process.

“It was not an objective in this campaign to score a lot of goals but because of the standard of the squad we achieved it,” said Martinez, the 44-year-old Spaniard who was a surprise successor to Marc Wilmots, who was fired after Belgium’s loss to Wales in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals. “We scored because we created chances — evidence that the team is doing well.”

The perennial dark horse, however, arrived in Brazil four years ago with similar expectations but could progress only to the quarter-finals, where it lost 0-1 to Argentina. Its best performance remains its semi-final appearance in 1986 when it again fell to Argentina, the eventual champion.

To avoid that fate this time around, Martinez will have to make sure his side have a solid foundation to allow his exciting attacking options to flourish. With Panama, Tunisia and England the other teams, topping Group G should not be too difficult for Belgium but Martinez will need to find the right formula to balance that attack and defence.

Previous tournaments: Belgium has appeared in 12 World Cups, with its qualification for the 2014 edition in Brazil coming after a gap of 12 years. The Red Devils lost to Argentina in the quarter-finals in Brazil and its best performance remains its semi-final appearance in 1986.

Form guide: After drawing 3-3 against Mexico in Brussels last November, Roberto Martinez’s side went on to beat Japan 1-0 four days later and then picked up a confidence-boosting 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia towards the end of March. It will play three more warm-up matches in June before kicking off its World Cup campaign against Panama on June 18.

Prospects: It showed what they are capable of during World Cup qualification. While few doubt its attacking prowess, the jury is still out on its defensive organisation. It will be expected to top Group G which includes England, Panama and Tunisia, but will need a solid backline to ensure the campaign does not end up as another missed opportunity.

Kevin De Bruyne is already counted among the world’s top players after his exploits during Manchester City’s spectacular march to the Premier League title but the World Cup in Russia will present the midfielder with a chance to become part of Belgian folklore.

The 26-year-old has been the driving force in Pep Guardiola’s record-breaking City side who earned more points and wins in the Premier League than any previous champion. De Bruyne’s work rate and ability to produce a procession of pinpoint passes helped to lift City to a new level, leaving all other title aspirants lagging way behind.

His unrivalled range of short and long passing can tear apart sides and he has registered more assists than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues since 2012. Belgium captain and Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard believes his team mate could create “magic” with the ball at his feet.

“He’s fantastic,” said Hazard recently. “He’s clever on and off the pitch. When he’s on the pitch with good players, he’s one of the best in the world. Every time he has the ball at his feet he can do something magic. He doesn’t score a lot of goals but he can create something with just one movement or pass. It’s simple, he’s a special player.”

De Bruyne’s passing and attacking play from deep is of the highest quality and he can find a player on the move with a perfectly placed and weighted pass. He also has the ability to find the net from distance and is hard to catch with the ball at his feet and open space in front of him.

It helps Belgium coach Roberto Martinez to use De Bruyne in a central role in a 3-4-3 formation in the national side. “We get a lot of advantage from getting him on the ball,” the Spaniard said. “Systems very much depend on the teams you play but it is a system that has worked for us very well in qualification.”