Belgium lean on experience, then overwhelm Kazakhstan with volume
Belgium didn’t just pick a heavyweight squad for Kazakhstan—they played like one. At Lotto Park in Brussels on September 7, the Red Devils controlled 66% of the ball and fired 32 shots, 14 on target. Kazakhstan managed five attempts, with two reaching goal. The numbers told the story: Belgium dictated tempo, territory, and almost every phase of play.
The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) had confirmed the squad ahead of the fixture, a key step in the European route to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The date sat in the middle of a busy international window that opened with a September 4 trip to Vaduz to face Liechtenstein, so selection came with load management in mind. The goal was obvious—keep rhythm, protect legs, and bank points.
At the heart of the roster was a core that has kept Belgium near the top of the global game. Thibaut Courtois, on 104 caps, remained the first name on the team sheet. His presence still calms the entire back line before a ball is even kicked. Behind the scenes, the RBFA’s depth is huge: 736 players have worn the senior shirt across history. It’s a reminder of a long pipeline, even as this era’s stars carry the load.
Defensively, Belgium leaned on experienced center-backs to set the platform. The names have evolved, but the profile hasn’t—composed on the ball, strong in the air, and comfortable defending higher lines. Jan Vertonghen, the country’s all-time appearance leader with 157 caps, stepped away from international duty in 2024, but his standard still defines the unit: tidy, organized, calm in pressure moments.
Midfield ran through Kevin De Bruyne and Axel Witsel, each still central to how Belgium breathe life into possession. De Bruyne, at 112 caps and 32 goals, stitched together moves and found pockets between Kazakhstan’s lines. Witsel’s 132 caps underline his role as the stabilizer—recycling the ball, locking down transition points, and buying time for the creators to work. When those two control the rhythm, Belgium look like themselves.
Up front, Romelu Lukaku again acted as the reference point. With 89 goals in 124 appearances, he remains one of international football’s most devastating scorers. The structures around him did their job: runners darted off his shoulder, crosses arrived early, and midfielders attacked the box late. Even without a scoreline in hand, the chance profile said it all—this game flowed toward Lukaku and the wave of red shirts around him.
The RBFA framed this selection as part of a bigger campaign arc under coach Roberto Martinez, balancing tried-and-tested veterans with newer faces pushing for time. The logic was pragmatic. After travel to Vaduz and a tight turnaround, freshness mattered. The staff needed a group that could control long stretches with the ball, keep counterattacks in check, and still carry enough punch to turn pressure into goals.
What the Brussels performance says about Belgium now
On the night, Belgium’s shape stretched Kazakhstan from the opening whistle. Full-backs advanced early, wingers tucked inside, and the midfield duo moved the ball with minimal fuss. De Bruyne kept slipping into half-spaces to draw defenders out; Witsel hovered where danger usually starts. It wasn’t frantic. It was methodical—probe, recycle, strike again. On the few moments Kazakhstan broke, Courtois had two saves to make and handled both without drama.
Kazakhstan sat compact, often with two tight lines protecting the penalty area. Belgium responded with patience: quick switches to isolate wide players, cut-backs aimed at late-arriving midfielders, and plenty of deliveries for Lukaku to attack. With 14 shots on target, the Red Devils kept the away keeper busy and the away block under constant strain. You could feel the control from the stands—every clearance seemed to come right back.
There was also a clear commitment to second balls, a small detail that tilted the pitch. Whenever a cross was headed away, the next red shirt got there first, resetting the move. That’s where experience paid off. Belgium never let the game get messy. Instead, they wore Kazakhstan down with repetition: progress to the edge of the box, ask a different question, then ask again.
Finishing can swing from night to night, but creating 32 shots is the bigger signal. It says the spacing, movement, and decision-making were on point. The coaching staff will take that over any single bounce of the ball. Over a qualifying campaign, this kind of volume usually cashes out.
The window’s schedule shaped the approach, too. With the Liechtenstein trip three days earlier, minutes needed careful distribution. That’s where Belgium’s depth matters. Veterans set standards, while younger options fight for rotation places without the pressure of carrying the team. The competition is healthy; it’s the kind that keeps training sharp and keeps places honest.
There’s also the human side of this evolution. Eden Hazard, who captained Belgium 59 times and scored 33 goals in 126 appearances, stepped away in 2022. Vertonghen followed in 2024. Those departures could have left a vacuum. Instead, the spine—Witsel, Lukaku, De Bruyne, Courtois—has held steady, giving the group continuity while new pieces settle in. You saw the benefits in Brussels: an identity that outlived a few era-defining names.
From a campaign standpoint, the performance tightened Belgium’s grip on the things they can control: territory, tempo, and chance creation. The stakes in the UEFA European Qualifiers are simple—win your moments, stack points, avoid chaos. Nights like this reduce the margin for error later, when knocks pile up and travel gets heavier.
Lotto Park provided the kind of close, energetic stage that suits a team comfortable on the ball. With the crowd at their backs, Belgium stayed on the front foot for most of the match and never let the tempo drift. It wasn’t a night about fireworks. It was about structure, patience, and rhythm—qualities that tend to carry teams through long qualifying roads.
The RBFA’s broader picture also showed through. Maintaining records of every player to wear the shirt may feel like a small thing, but it underpins a culture of continuity. When coaches make calls on minutes, they do it with a deep pool in mind, not just a starting XI. That’s how you sustain levels across dense windows like this one.
Next up, the campaign rolls on with familiar objectives: keep the spine fit, reward form, and make sure the chance count stays high. If Brussels was any guide, Belgium are exactly where they wanted to be at this stage—experienced, cohesive, and very hard to push off their plan.
