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Belgium –Participating Teams in the Euro Football 2024 Tournament

Belgium are one of the participating nations in the 2024 European Championships, and the Belgians are hoping to catch the eye on the big Euro stage. With a strong football history and an extremely talented squad, the Red Devils could go far in this summer’s Euro Cup. 

In this preview, we explore Belgium’s route to the 2024 tournament, analyse their expected performances, and look back on some key moments from previous Euro campaigns. Join us as we take a closer look at the Belgian national team and their preparations for the exciting football event on German soil.

The Belgian Football Team in the Euro Football Tournament

This summer’s tournament will be Belgium’s seventh European Championship appearance. They made their first appearance back in 1972, finishing in third place. After beating Italy in the quarter-final play-offs, the Belgians lost to West Germany in the semi-finals. However, they managed to get the better of Hungary in Liege to secure third place. 

Eight years later, Belgium were back in Europe’s elite international competition. They were one of the participating teams in the 1980 Euro Cup in Italy. The Belgians went one better this time and finished second.

Belgium finished at the top of Group 2, picking up one win and two draws. In game one, the Belgians played out a 1-1 draw with England in Turin. They then beat Spain 2-1 in the San Siro before ending Group 2 with a goalless draw with the hosts in Rome.

As the group winners, the Red Devils went straight through to the Euro final, where the mighty West Germany were waiting in the Italian capital. It was a close game, but the Germans edged it by two goals to one. 

After the 1980 edition, Belgium only featured in two of the following seven Euro Championships. They were eliminated in the group stage in France in 1984 and again in Belgium and the Netherlands in 2000. 

However, they were back in the big time for the 2016 version in France, where they reached the quarter-finals. In the pan-European 2020 edition, which was played in 2021, the Belgians were also eliminated at the last-eight stage.  

As has been the case for the past decade or so, Belgium head to the European Championships as one of the bookies’ favourites. They have underperformed in major tournaments in recent times, but will this finally be their time to shine? 

The 2024 edition on German turf will be their seventh Euro finals. They were one of the first nations to book their place in the tournament after a dominant qualifying campaign. 

Belgium were one of the top seeds for the draw. They were seeded in Pot 1 alongside Germany, Portugal, England, Spain, and France. The Belgians were then drawn into Group E, where they will play Slovakia, Romania, and the play-off Path B winners. 

Belgium’s tournament gets up and running with a fixture against Slovakia at the Waldstadion on June 17th. The Red Devils head to Hamburg as the clear favourites, but can the Slovakians cause an upset? 

Next up for Belgium is a game against Romania on June 22nd. The Romanians had a fine qualifying campaign and could cause problems in Germany. Nevertheless, once again, the Belgians are the fancied team. They will be looking to make it six points out of six with a win at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne. 

Belgium’s third and final group match will see them take on the play-off B winners at the MHPArena in Stuttgart on June 26th. They will face either Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ukraine, Israel, or Iceland. Belgium will be the favourites against any one of those nations. 

Before a ball has been struck in anger in Group E, Belgium are heavily fancied to go through to the knockout phase as the group winners. Of course, a top-two place will be enough, but the Red Devils are aiming for first position. 

Belgium’s Road to the European Championship 2024

In their qualifying group, Belgium locked horns with Austria, Sweden, Azerbaijan, and Estonia. Right from the very first whistle, the Belgians were the massive favourites to win the group, and the team certainly lived up to the hype. 

Belgium eased to the top spot in Group F, reaching the finals with an unbeaten record. They picked up six wins from eight games, drawing twice along the way. The Belgians scored a staggering 22 goals and shipped just four at the other end. 

On the opening day of qualifying, the Belgian national team eased to a 3-0 win against Sweden in Solna. They were a goal up at the break and added two more in the second period. It was certainly a statement win at the Friends Arena. 

A few months later, however, the Belgians dropped two points against a dogged Austrian team. The away side took a shock first-half lead thanks to an own goal, but Belgium rallied in the second half and found an equaliser just after the hour mark. The matchup at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels ended in a 1-1 draw. 

Belgium got back to winning ways in style a few days later, picking up another 3-0 victory on the road. This time, the Belgians were too strong for Estonia at the Lillekula Stadium in Tallinn. 

Belgium scraped through against a tough Azerbaijani side in Baku before hammering the Estonians. One goal was enough to see off the Azerbaijanis, while they netted five without reply against Estonia in Brussels. 

Belgium were back in action in October, and they were involved in a five-goal thriller with the Austrians in Vienna. Despite a late fightback by the home side, the Belgians held on for a vital 3-2 victory at the Ernst-Happel-Stadion. A few days later, they were held to a 1-1 home draw by the Swedes. 

With qualification in the bag, the Belgian national team wanted to put on a show for their fans when Azerbaijan came to the capital in November. Belgium won the group by picking up another 5-0 win to cap off a dominant qualification campaign in style. 

Overall, they amassed an impressive 20 points from a possible 24 and finished one point ahead of Austria. They qualified with ease, as third-place Sweden were ten points behind in the final table. Belgium showed their class with several top displays and were ruthless when they needed to be. 

Belgium’s Recent Euro Performances

Belgium’s “Golden Era” may be on the way out, but they still have several world-class players in the squad. Many of their players are playing for the biggest clubs across Europe. 

They head to Germany as one of the favourites, but they have struggled to live up to the hype in recent major tournaments. In 2016, the Belgians followed Italy through to the last 16, winning two of three group fixtures. 

They hammered Hungary 4-0 in the Round of 16 and were heavily fancied to see off Wales in the quarter-finals. However, the Red Devils had a night to forget against the Dragons, suffering a shock 3-1 loss to Chris Coleman’s men. 

Despite taking an early lead at a packed Stade Pierre-Mauroy, goals from Ashley Williams, Hal Robson-Kanu, and Sam Vokes gave the Welsh a famous win. 

In the pan-European event in 2021, Belgium were tipped to go far again. They were very easy on the eye in the group stage, picking up nine points out of nine. Denmark took second place, while Finland and Russia were eliminated. 

In the first game in Group B, Belgium eased to a 3-0 win over the Russians at the Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg. Four days later, the Belgians booked their spot in the Round of 16 with a 2-1 win against the Danes. They kept up their 100% record with a 2-0 triumph over Finland.

As a result of winning Group B, Belgium went up against Portugal in the last 16. It was a close game in Seville, with a late first-half goal giving the Belgians a narrow 1-0 win. 

In the quarter-finals, Belgium played Italy at the Allianz Arena in Munich. The Italians raced into a two-goal lead, but a late Belgian goal just before half time set the second half up perfectly. Unfortunately for the Red Devils, the Italians held on for a 2-1 win. 

Belgium failed to get past the last-eight hurdle once more, while Italy went on to lift the trophy at Wembley Stadium in London. Again, the Belgians flattered to deceive in a major tournament. 

Belgium’s Chances of Winning the 2024 European Championship

Belgium have been knocking on the door for several years now, but a major tournament win has eluded the nation. Many of their star men are approaching the latter stages of their careers, so this could be their best chance of winning some silverware. 

On paper, Belgium have a talented group of players and an experienced manager at the helm. They should ease out of their group, but the tournament will come to life in the knockout phase. 

Many punters will be backing Belgium to lift the trophy, but will they fall short again? If they can finally win a European quarter-final, the Belgian national team will fancy their chances of going all the way in 2024.