Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí had yet to kick a ball. Gavi and Nico Williams had only just joined their local academies. Captain Rodri was on the verge of being released by Atlético Madrid’s youth setup for lacking the necessary physicality. None of Spain’s 26-member World Cup squad had made a professional appearance when Rudi Garcia won his last trophy, the 2010/11 Ligue 1, and can be forgiven for knowing little of Belgium’s manager. The Belgians didn’t know much, either. They do now.
The resentment at his appointment in January 2025 was not baseless. He has won only two titles in over two decades as a manager. His immediate predecessor was Domenico Tedesco: young, new ideas, and the only coach to win the DFB-Pokal with RB Leipzig. Tedesco sold dreams, and then delivered nightmares. Amid rifts and disagreements, Belgium imploded early. Before him was Roberto Martinez. He was entrusted with a cohort of talent ranked first in the world, the famed ‘Golden generation’ that promised exactly what its name implied. Gold. Bronze was the closest it came.
Belgium wanted a serial winner, or a name iconic enough to inspire hope among a fanbase that had already started to desert the national team. Conversations were held with Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane and Xavi. Footballing royalty. Every pursuit met a dead end. Attention shifted to Michel Preud’homme, a name less famous globally than that trio but a local legend nonetheless. He had personal issues. And then, from the chaos, emerged Rudi Garcia.
Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia reacts on the sideline during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle, Monday, July 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Fans were enraged, but barely anyone was more incandescent than Jacky Mathijssen, the former Belgium under-21 manager. He fired off a text to the federation’s sporting director, Vincent Mannaert, making his fury plain: “This choice makes no sense.”
Marc Degryse, a member of Belgium’s 1990 and 1994 World Cup squads, was equally unconvinced. His reasoning was blunt: a foreign appointment only made sense if it came with a reputation attached. “Garcia is not a big name,” he said.
Before he had fully stepped through the door, there were calls to usher him back out. On Friday, at Los Angeles Stadium, he will try to usher the team past Spain and into what would be only their second World Cup semi-final ever.
The critics have had their Rudi Awakening.
Methodical process
Garcia’s rebuild of Belgium has been methodical. The first, and perhaps the most significant, step was restoring Thibaut Courtois to the fold.
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A captaincy dispute with Tedesco had driven Courtois into international exile. Garcia was too experienced to let a fractured relationship weaken his team. A call was made, and a flight was booked for Madrid, where Courtois plays his club football. The goalkeeper said at the time that his first impression of the conversation had been positive, and that Garcia would be coming to Madrid himself before long.
Weeks later, Garcia was in Spain. Courtois came away convinced: “Garcia is a winner.” The comparison he reached for was his own club manager, Carlo Ancelotti, someone who simply makes players feel good about themselves.
An integral member of the golden generation had returned home. Garcia, however, didn’t want the golden generation’s imprint on his vision. He wanted to build a team of his own. A team that is young.
Belgium were the fifth-oldest team at Qatar 2022. At this World Cup, they sit almost exactly in the middle, ranked 24th for average age. Centre-back Nathan Ngoy, midfielder Nicolas Raskin and winger Diego Moreira, who have had crucial roles to play, were all handed their debuts by Garcia.
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Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia, right, instructs his players during a hydration break of the World Cup round of 32 soccer match against Belgium in Seattle, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Maddy Grassy)
He has also achieved what Martinez could not at Portugal: a system of meritocracy immune to popularity picks. Down two goals in the round of 32 against Senegal, Garcia subbed out Kevin De Bruyne and Jeremy Doku, replacing them with Nicolas Raskin and Dodi Lukebakio. It looked like a mistake until half-time substitute Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans scored twice in three late minutes to force extra time, where Tielemans settled it from the penalty spot.
Neither De Bruyne nor Doku started the next match. Belgium dismantled the USA 4-1 regardless. Romelu Lukaku, Belgium’s record goalscorer, has had only cameo appearances save for one start. It was also the solitary game where he did not make an impression. Three goals, all from the bench.
That perhaps explains Belgium’s greatest strength. There is no single talisman carrying Garcia’s side, for the whole has been greater than the sum of its parts. Belgium rank among the top 10 for goals, assists, shots on target and expected goals, and yet, not a single Belgian features in the top 10 of those individual categories.
Against Spain, Garcia will rely on the collective, again, to do the heavy lifting.
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In his first press conference, he had declared, “I feel 100% Belgian.” Should he beat Spain, Belgians will 100% agree.