The Belgium World Cup 2026 campaign has seen them struggle, as they have registered only two points out of a possible six from their opening two group games.
The Belgians were arguably the favourites to secure a top spot in Group G after they were drawn against Iran, Egypt, and New Zealand.
However, they have failed to register dominance in the group and could be eliminated from the competition if they fail to secure maximum points in their final game.
In their opening game, the Belgium World Cup 2026 started poorly as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Egypt on June 15.
In the game against Egypt, Belgium had to come from behind to score a goal that salvaged a draw. However, the result was criticised by the supporters who felt they should have secured maximum points.
Six days after their opening game, Belgium failed to secure a win in their second Group G game. They had to come from behind again and rescue a 1-1 draw with Iran, a result that put them behind Egypt and Iran in Group G. Thus, they will have to secure a win in their final game against New Zealand to qualify for the knockout stages and rescue the Belgium World Cup 2026 campaign.
This article will highlight and analyse two reasons why Belgium has failed to impress in the tournament.
Belgium World Cup 2026: Three Reasons Why The Red Devils Are Struggling – An Absence Of Precision In Attack
In the encounter against Egypt, Belgium failed to capitalise on their chances despite controlling most of the attacking proceedings.
They registered 15 goal attempts, but only three of those chances were on target, as the Belgians also failed to score a direct goal, with the goal against Egypt coming from an own goal by an Egyptian player.
Fast forward to the game against Iran, Belgium dominated the attacking proceedings once again, but failed to convert.
As a team that registered 23 goal attempts in the World Cup game with Iran, Belgium failed to convert any of those attempts, an outcome which is stunning considering that they had players like Romelu Lukaku, Leandro Trossard, and Kevin De Bruyne in attack.
Thus, it can be highlighted that the absence of precision has grossly affected Belgium in the tournament.
Lukaku and the other attackers will have to be accurate against New Zealand for Belgium to secure a much-needed win to continue the Belgium World Cup 2026 campaign.
Belgium might also have to explore the option of giving the young players an opportunity to showcase themselves against New Zealand. A player like Matias Fernandez-Pardo should be allowed to start ahead of Romelu Lukaku in attack.
The forward scored eight goals and registered seven assists in 41 games for LOSC Lille last season, whilst Lukaku was injured for most of the 2025/26 season, as Fernandez-Pardo could be in a better attacking shape than the veteran Belgian striker.
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Belgium World Cup 2026: Two Reasons Why Belgium Is Struggling – Lack Of Synergy Between The Midfield And Attack
Belgium has intelligent players like Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans in their midfield, and in the attack, they have Lukaku and Trossard, among other players, who are all decent finishers.
However, a lack of synergy among these players has affected their attacking performance as they have yet to score and register an assist in the tournament, a factor that also shows that a leader has been absent from the starting XI, and a player who could coordinate and influence the performance of other players in difficult situations.
The above was a similar situation that also made Belgium suffer elimination in the group stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Thus, the players in the midfield and attack would have to work as a team rather than working separately to secure a win against New Zealand.
If they fail to defeat New Zealand, the Belgium World Cup 2026 campaign might be cut short, and elimination could be on the cards.
However, a victory against New Zealand will set them on the right path of advancing from Group G, and extending the Belgium World Cup 2026 journey.
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