In this blog we bring you the best Belgium footballers of all time. The Belgian has been called the dark horse of world football for the past decade because of his pace and talent. Despite the lack of silverware, the Belgians perform well in major tournaments; And these displays span different eras, reflecting a collective mindset achieved through patriotism and pride rather than just individual quality.
For Roberto Martinez and his men, who finished third in the tournament, the World Cup was a big step in the right direction.
Here we take a look at the greatest Belgium XI from 1922 to 2020. They finished third at Euro 1972, were runners-up at Euro 1980, and were semi-finalists at the 1986 FIFA World Cup. This short period of success was the product of the first golden generation of stars in Belgium.
Belgium has produced huge stars in the world of football. This Classora survey presents the most prominent players in Belgium. Who do you think is the best Belgian footballer of all time? Continue reading this article to know more about the Top 5 best belgium footballer of all time.
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Top 5 Best Belgium Footballers Of All Time
#1 Romelu Lukaku (Caps – 91,Goals – 59)
- Full name Romelu Lukaku Bolingoli
- Date of birth 13 May 1993
- Place of birth Antwerp, Belgium
- Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
- Position Striker
Romelu Lukaku Bolingoli (born 13 May 1993), also known as Romelu Lukaku, is a Belgium professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Inter Milan on loan from Premier League club Chelsea and the Belgium national team.
Lukaku made his Belgian debut in 2010 at the age of 17 during a successful season with Belgian side Anderlecht, scoring a double for young players in the league at the time.
Romelu Lukaku initially scored only 5 goals in his first 26 caps, but 2014 was a turning point for Lukaku. He helped Belgium secure qualification for the 2014 WC with a brace in a 2–1 win against Croatia at the end of 2013. He then started the first 2 games in Brazil, but failed to score, being benched until the KO round.
Coming off the bench in the RO16 in a 2–1 win against the United States, Lukaku finally came alive in the knockouts. Belgium eventually finished as quarter-finalists.
Euro 2016 also took place at another QF venue, but Lukaku was more important. He started all 5 games for The Red Devils, scoring 2 goals.
The 2018 World Cup was Belgium’s best performance in a World Cup and Lukaku also had the best tournament for Belgium. Belgium’s all-time top scorer at the age of 27 and 27 goals clear of second place, Romelu Lukaku’s achievements for Belgium can never be surpassed and yet the speed with which he achieved this feat can only be partially explained can be explained by
#2 Eden Hazard (Caps – 106,Goals – 32)
- Full name Eden Michael Walter Hazard
- Date of birth 7 January 1991
- Place of birth La Louviere, Belgium
- Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
- Position: Defender
Eden Hazard, is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for La Liga club Real Madrid.
Eden Hazard is regarded as one of the best players of his generation, known for his creativity, dribbling, passing and vision.
Hazard began his career in Belgium playing for local youth clubs. In 2005, he moved to France, where he began his senior career with Ligue 1 club Lille.
Hazard was handed his senior international debut in November 2008 at the age of 17; In the middle of his second season as a professional footballer for Lille in France.
At the Euros hosted by France, Hazard started all 5 games as captain, providing inspiration when needed as the Belgians reached their first-ever Euro qualifiers. However Ustad only scored once, a goal in a 4–0 win against Hungary in the RO16. Carrying on through his vision and skill, Hazard continued to wear the armband going into the ’18 WC in Russia, where The Red Devils produced their best ever WC performance with a bronze.
In the squad for the 2014 WC in Brazil, Hazard played every game but was not a game-changer, scoring no goals in the competition as Belgium reached the QFs. After a poor run in 2014 with only 1 goal in 12 caps, Hazard scored 6 in 9 appearances the following year and was awarded an armband for Euro 2016 as a result.
#3 Jan Vertonghen (Caps – 126,Goals – 9)
- Full name Jan Bert Lieve Vertonghen
- Date of birth 24 April 1987
- Place of birth Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
- Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
- Position(s) Center-back
Jan Bert Leeuw Vertonghen (born 24 April 1987), also known as Jan Vertonghen, is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for Belgian club Anderlecht and the Belgium national team. Primarily a central defender, he can also play as a left-back.
He won two Eredivisie and two KNVB Cup titles during his time at the club, and was named Dutch Footballer of the Year in 2012.
The versatile defender made his senior international debut for Ajax of Holland in June 2007, after only 3 appearances and one full season of professional football.
Jan Vertonghen’s first international tournament came in the form of the 2014 WC in Brazil, where he played every game at left-back as Belgium reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 1986.
At Euro 2016, Vertonghen continued to display his talent at left flank with his pace and understanding. He played in 4 out of 5 games and Belgium reached the QF once again, keeping 3 clean sheets along the way. An ever-present, Vertonghen continued to feature regularly in the 2018 WC.
Vertonghen also scored the winning goal in a 1–0 group stage win against South Korea, helping to secure qualification for Belgium.
This time as a centre-back in a back 3, Vertonghen played 6 out of 7 possible games, including Belgium’s 3–2 comeback victory over RO 16 as well as keeping 2 clean sheets and scoring an important goal .
#4 Jan Ceulemans (Caps – 96,Goals – 23)
- Full name Jan Anna Gumaar Ceulemans
- Date of birth 28 February 1957
- Place of birth Lier, Belgium
- Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
- Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Jan Anna Gumaar Ceulemans (born 28 February 1957), also known as Jan Ceulemans, is a Belgian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
A prolific goalscorer, Selmons was known for his stamina, aerial ability and technique.
He was also known for his power, impressive structure, and natural authority.
Ceulemans made his senior national team debut in 1977 at the age of 20, then in his third season at Belgian side Lierse.
Seelmans started all 4 games as Belgium finished runners-up, their highest ever Euro finish, with the versatile playmaker scoring 1 goal as he rotated between the roles of wing and striker in his first major tournament.
He continued to be important for The Red Devils in subsequent tournaments, appearing in their first 3 WCs in 1982.
Selemens was named captain of the Belgian national team for the 1984 Euro. He started all 3 games either on the flanks or in central midfield as Denmark exited the group stage scoring 1 goal.
In the 86 WC, Ceulemans started all 5 games as Belgium came 4th and scored 2 crucial goals in 2 consecutive knockout round victories against the USSR first and Spain.
#5 Paul Van Himst (Caps – 81,Goals – 30)
- Full name Paul Van Himst
- Date of birth 2 October 1943 (age 79)
- Place of birth Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium
- Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
- Position(s) Forward
Paul van Himst (born 2 October 1943) is a Belgian former football player and a football manager who played as a forward, most notably for R.S.C. Anderlecht. Van Himst was nicknamed Pol Jon.
Paul van Himst made his senior international debut in October 1960, a few days after turning 17. Van Himst was in his second season as a pro at the time, playing for Belgian club Anderlecht.
Ranked #10 in the 1970 WC, Van Himst captained his country in every game as the Red Devils were, unfortunately, eliminated in the group stage of the tournament.
The national side then carried the built-up confidence from the World Cup campaign into Euro ’72 qualifying, which Paul van Himst achieved through a 2–1 playoff win versus Italy, with van Himst scoring the decisive second goal.
Van Himst once again scored the decisive second goal in a 2–1 win against Hungary in the third-place playoff, leading his team to another major tournament, but later, with a better performance.
Conclusion
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