Belgium national football team records and statistics

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This article lists various team and individual football records in relation to the Belgium national team (The Red Devils).[A] The page currently shows the records as of 26 March 2024.

Team records[edit]

See also: Belgium national football team results

[5]

Wins[edit]

Largest win
Largest away win
Largest win at the World Cup Finals
Largest win at the European Championship finals
4–0 vs  Hungary on 26 June 2016, Euro 2016
Largest win at the Olympic Games finals
3–0 vs  Netherlands on 31 August 1920, 1920 Summer Olympics
Largest goal deficit overcome in a single game (to either a win or a draw)
3 goals, vs  Denmark on 6 May 1932 (4–3 victory after being 0–3 down)

Draws[edit]

It didn't make sense at all, this match.

 —Dutch international Frank De Boer, after the high Netherlands-Belgium scoring draw (5–5) in 1999[6]

Highest scoring draw
5–5 vs  Netherlands on 4 September 1999
Highest scoring draw at the World Cup Finals
4–4 (a.e.t.) vs  England on 17 June 1954, 1954 World Cup
Highest scoring draw at the European Championship finals
1–1 vs  England on 12 June 1980, Euro 1980
Highest scoring draw at the Olympic Games finals
None

Defeats[edit]

The English probably found a dozen enough!

 —Mockery Dutch newspaper comment after Belgium's unofficial 12–0 loss to Corinthian, their biggest ever defeat[7]

Largest defeat
2–11 vs England Amateurs on 17 April 1909
Including unofficial games: 0–12 vs Corinthian on 6 January 1906[8]
Largest defeat at home
1–9 vs  England on 11 May 1927
Largest defeat at the World Cup Finals
Largest defeat at the European Championship finals
0–5 vs  France on 16 June 1984, Euro 1984

Belgium-Sweden 1–8, Sweden cracks Belgium.

 —Dutch newspaper heading after Belgium suffered its largest defeat at a major tournament, at the 1924 Summer Olympics[9]

Largest defeat at the Olympic Games finals
1–8 vs  Sweden on 29 May 1924, 1924 Summer Olympics
Largest lead given away
2 goals, on several occasions

Goals[edit]

Scored[edit]

Most goals scored in a single game
10 vs  San Marino on 28 February 2001
Most goals scored in an away game
7 vs  Netherlands on 25 November 1951
Most goals scored during the first half
7 vs  Iceland on 5 June 1957
Most goals scored during the second half
7 vs  San Marino on 28 February 2001
Most goals scored during extra time
Most goals scored in a single game during the World Cup finals
5 vs  Tunisia on 23 June 2018, 2018 World Cup Cup
Most goals scored in a single game during the European Championship finals
4 vs  Hungary on 26 June 2016, Euro 2016
Match phase of Belgium's most productive Olympic game, against Luxembourg in 1928 (5–3)
Most goals scored in a single game during the Olympic Games finals
5 vs  Luxembourg on 27 May 1928, 1928 Summer Olympics
Most different players scoring during a single game
7 (+ 1 own goal) (Romelu Lukaku (2), Nacer Chadli, Toby Alderweireld, Youri Tielemans, Christian Benteke, Yari Verschaeren and Timothy Castagne) (+ own goal by Cristian Brolli), vs  San Marino on 10 October 2019

Conceded[edit]

Most goals conceded in a single game
11 vs England Amateurs on 17 April 1909
Including unofficial games: 12 vs Corinthian on 6 January 1906[8]
Most goals conceded during a home game
9 vs  England on 11 May 1927
Most goals conceded during the first half
8 vs England Amateurs on 17 April 1909
Most goals conceded during the second half
Most goals conceded during extra time
3 vs  Netherlands on 30 April 1905
Most goals conceded in a single game during the World Cup Finals
5 vs Nazi Germany Germany on 27 May 1934, 1934 World Cup
Most goals conceded in a single game during the European Championship Finals
5 vs  France on 16 June 1984, Euro 1984
Most goals conceded in a single game during the Olympic Games finals
8 vs  Sweden on 29 May 1924, 1924 Summer Olympics

Scored and conceded[edit]

Highest total number of goals in a single game

Thirteen times a hole in the air...

 —Dutch newspaper heading after the goal-rich 1951 Netherlands-Belgium encounter; both supporter sides together had 13 reasons to jump in the air[10]

  • 13: 7–6 victory against  Netherlands on 25 November 1951

Streaks[edit]

Longest unbeaten run
23 games, from 2016 to 2018[B]
Longest run without victory
13, from 1933 to 1935
Most consecutive wins
12, from 2019 to 2020
Most consecutive draws
4, from 1948 to 1949, and in 1998
Most consecutive losses
7, from 1927 to 1928
Most consecutive games with at least one goal scored
49, from 2018 to 2022
Most consecutive games without a goal scored
5, in 1999
Most consecutive games without a goal conceded
7, in 2019
Most consecutive games with at least one goal conceded
38, from 1928 to 1933

World rankings[edit]

FIFA[edit]

Source: FIFA.com[11]

Belgium go top, Chile and Austria soar

 —FIFA News announcing Belgium's highest ever FIFA World Ranking in November 2015[12]

Highest FIFA ranking
1st (November 2015 – March 2016, September 2018 – February 2022)
Lowest FIFA ranking
71st (June 2007)
Best Mover
+25 (April 2011)
Worst Mover
−14 (September 2010)

Elo[edit]

Source: Eloratings.net[13]

Highest Elo rating
2158 (following 1–0 vs  Portugal on 27 June 2021)
Lowest Elo rating
1497 (following 0–8 vs  Netherlands on 29 March 1936)
Highest Elo ranking
1st (16 November 2019 – 11 October 2020, 27 June 2021, 2 September 2021 – 8 September 2021)
Lowest Elo ranking
74th (September 2009)

Achievements[edit]

Major titles[edit]

Belgium's 1920 Olympic champions, and one of the 154 gold medals awarded at these Games of the VII Olympiad
Olympic football tournament[14]
Gold Medal (1): 1920

Friendly trophies[edit]

The Coupe Vanden Abeele
Shared (1): 1904
Winners (3): 1906, 1922, 1925
Shared (3): 1913, 1921, 1924
Winners (5): 1906, 1907, 1913, 1922, 1926
Shared (5): 1923, 1924, 1928 (2x), 1930
Shared (1): 1999

Awards[edit]

Winners (5): 2015, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Winners (1): 2002
Winners (1): 1980
Winners (2): 2013, 2014

Other achievements[edit]

In 2018, the Belgian players won bronze at the World Cup (pictured: Jan Vertonghen).
Third place (1): 2018
Fourth place (1): 1986
Runners-up (1): 1980
Third place (1): 1972
Fourth place (1): 2021
Individual


FIFA rankings history[edit]

Source:[22]

Belgium's history in the FIFA World Rankings. The table shows the position that Belgium held in December of each year (and the current position as of 2023), as well as the highest and lowest positions annually.

Appearances[edit]

See also: List of Belgium international footballers

General[edit]

[23][24]

Most appearances
Jan Vertonghen (2007–present), 154 caps[C]
Jan Vertonghen holds the record for most Belgium international appearances.
Jan Ceulemans, nicknamed Caje and Strong Jan, was formerly Belgium's record captain.

The following are the top ten most capped players; players with an equal number of caps are ranked in chronological order of reaching the milestone:

Rank Player Belgium career Caps Goals Position
1 Jan Vertonghen 2007– 154[C] 10 DF
2 Axel Witsel 2008–2022 130[D] 12 MF
3 Toby Alderweireld 2009–2022 127[D] 5 DF
4 Eden Hazard 2008–2022 126[E] 33 MF/FW
5 Romelu Lukaku 2010– 114[C] 83[F] FW
6 Dries Mertens 2011– 109[E] 21 FW
7 Thibaut Courtois 2011– 102[E] 0 GK
8 Kevin De Bruyne 2010– 99[C] 26 MF
9 Jan Ceulemans 1977–1991 96 22 MF/FW
10 Timmy Simons 2001–2016 94 6 DF/MF

As of 26 March 2024. The records are collected based on data from FIFA and RSSSF.
Highlighted names denote a player still playing or available for selection.

Most consecutive appearances
Louis Carré, 50 games, from 22 May 1949 (vs  Wales) until 11 March 1956 (vs   Switzerland)
Most appearances as a substitute
Dries Mertens, 40 caps[E]
Most times substituted off
Eden Hazard, 58 caps[E]
Most games started on the bench
Simon Mignolet, 88 games[G]
Most selections (playing + non-playing)
Jan Vertonghen, 163 selections[H]
Most selections as an unused substitute
Simon Mignolet, 94 selections[G]
Most selections as an unused substitute without ever earning a cap
Jacques Duquesne, 16 selections
Most selections needed to earn first cap
Koen Casteels, 37 selections[I]
Lowest caps to selections ratio (> 0)
Jean Valet, 1/19
Most selections without ever being an unused substitute
Wesley Sonck, 55 selections
Most appearances as a substitute without ever starting a game
Tom Soetaers, 8 caps
Most appearances while never playing an entire game
Adnan Januzaj (still active), 15 caps[E] & Tom Soetaers, 8 caps
Most appearances in the starting eleven
Jan Vertonghen, 146 caps[C]
Most caps earned while not playing the entire game
Dries Mertens, 89 caps[D]
Most caps earned while only playing entire games
Bernard Voorhoof, 61 caps
Most caps earned while playing an entire game
Jan Vertonghen, 128 caps[D]
Most caps without ever being substituted off
Georges Heylens, 67 caps
Most caps without ever appearing as a substitute
Thibaut Courtois, 102 caps
Most caps needed to first play an entire game
Romelu Lukaku, 24 caps[E]
Most caps needed to first appear in the starting eleven
Mbo Mpenza, 9 caps
Hector Goetinck was the player with the longest career span, and the first national manager with the Belgian nationality.
First player to reach a century of caps
Jan Vertonghen, vs  Portugal on 2 June 2018[C]
Shortest time needed to reach a century of caps
Eden Hazard, 10 years, 4 months and 5 days between his debut (vs  Luxembourg on 19 November 2008) and his 100th cap[E] (vs  Cyprus on 24 March 2019)
Longest Belgian career
Hector Goetinck, 6,402 days or 17 years, 6 months and 10 days between first (vs  France on 22 April 1906) and last cap (vs  England on 1 November 1923)
Shortest Belgian career
Joris Van Hout, 2 minutes (on 16 October 2002 vs  Estonia)
Most consecutive calendar years of appearances
Jan Vertonghen (2007–2024), 18 years
Longest wait between appearances
Hector Goetinck, 3,476 days or 9 years, 6 months and 27 days, between his 16th (vs  Netherlands on 26 April 1914) and his 17th and final cap (vs  England on 1 November 1923)
Appearances in three separate decades
Smallest number of caps needed to appear in three separate decades
Georges Hebdin, 10 caps (total number of caps obtained: 12)
First player to debut as a substitute
Louis Van Hege, vs  France on 9 March 1919
Most times completed a game of 120 minutes
Jan Ceulemans & Stéphane Demol, 4 games, both at the 1986 and 1990 World Cups
First appearance by a player who was playing abroad
Raymond Braine (Sparta Prague, Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia), vs  France on 14 April 1935
First appearance by a player who had never played for the senior team of a Belgian club
Thomas Buffel, vs  Andorra on 12 October 2002
First appearance by a player born outside Belgium
Eric Thornton (born in  England), vs  Netherlands on 30 April 1905
First appearance by a player born outside of Europe
Luís Oliveira (born in  Brazil), vs  Tunisia on 26 February 1992
Last appearance by a player from a Belgian club outside the top division
Jan Verheyen (Union Saint-Gilloise), Belgian Third Division, vs  Netherlands on 25 April 1976
Last appearance by a player from outside the top division of any country
Wout Faes (Leicester City), England English Championship, vs  England on 26 March 2024
Players who have never played for the first team of a Belgian club
Thomas Vermaelen, Eden Hazard, Divock Origi, Adnan Januzaj, Yannick Carrasco, Jason Denayer, Koen Casteels, Orel Mangala, Amadou Onana, Johan Bakayoko, Roméo Lavia and Koni De Winter
Most appearances without ever playing for the first team of a Belgian club
Eden Hazard, 126 caps[E]
Most appearances while active with a non-Belgian club
Jan Vertonghen (Ajax, Tottenham Hotspur & Benfica), 139 caps[C]
Players appearing against the country of their birth
Highest number of players born outside Belgium simultaneously on the field
3 (Luís Oliveira, Gordan Vidović & Mbo Mpenza) vs  France on 27 May 1998
Players also appearing for another senior national team
  • Josip Weber, played three friendlies for  Croatia in 1992, but switched to the Belgium national team in 1994
  • Mehdi Carcela played two friendlies for Belgium in 2009–2010, before opting for  Morocco in 2011
  • Nacer Chadli, played one friendly for  Morocco in 2010, before opting for Belgium in 2011
  • Ilombe Mboyo, played one friendly for  DR Congo in 2011, before opting for Belgium in 2012
  • Denis Odoi played one friendly for Belgium in 2012, before opting for  Ghana in 2022
  • Dodi Lukebakio, played one friendly for  DR Congo in 2016, before opting for Belgium in 2020
Players capped while active outside of Europe

Age-related[edit]

Youngest player
Fernand Nisot, aged 16 years and 19 days, on 30 April 1911 vs  Netherlands

The following are all the players who debuted for the national football team of Belgium before the age of 18, their team at that time and their usual position:

Fernand Nisot was Belgium's youngest player and the only who scored before the age of 17.
Rank Player (club) Age Position
1 Fernand Nisot (Léopold Club) 16 years, 19 days FW
2 Anthony Vanden Borre (Anderlecht) 16 years, 187 days DF/MF
3 Romelu Lukaku (Anderlecht) 16 years, 294 days FW
4 Paul Van Himst (Anderlecht) 17 years, 17 days FW
5 Jean Capelle (Standard Liège) 17 years, 154 days FW
6 Joseph Musch (Union Saint-Gilloise) 17 years, 200 days DF
7 Zakaria Bakkali (PSV Eindhoven) 17 years, 262 days MF
8 Vincent Kompany (Anderlecht) 17 years, 314 days DF
9 Eden Hazard (Lille) 17 years, 317 days MF/FW
10 Raymond Braine (Beerschot) 17 years, 321 days FW
11 Bernard Voorhoof (Lierse) 17 years, 341 days FW
Oldest player
Timmy Simons, aged 39 years, 11 months and 2 days, vs  Estonia on 13 November 2016

The following are the top ten oldest players for the national football team of Belgium, their team at that time and their usual position:

Timmy Simons still made an international appearance at age 39.
Rank Player (club) Age Position
1 Timmy Simons (Club Brugge) 39 years, 338 days DF/MF
2 Jean De Bie (Racing Brussels) 38 years, 30 days GK
3 Philippe Vande Walle (Club Brugge) 37 years, 256 days GK
4 Hector Goetinck (Club Brugge) 37 years, 241 days MF
5 Wilfried Van Moer (Beveren) 37 years, 119 days MF
6 Franky Van der Elst (Club Brugge) 37 years, 56 days MF
7 Jan Vertonghen (Anderlecht) 36 years, 337 days DF
8 Danny Boffin (Sint-Truiden) 36 years, 320 days MF
9 Eric Gerets (PSV Eindhoven) 36 years, 313 days DF
10 Michel De Wolf (Marseille) 36 years, 231 days DF

Highlighted names denote a player still playing or available for selection.

Youngest goalkeeper
Robert Hustin, aged 18 years, 6 months and 24 days, vs  France on 9 May 1905
Youngest player to reach a century of caps
Eden Hazard, aged 28 years, 2 months and 17 days, vs  Cyprus on 24 March 2019[E]
Oldest debutant
Dany Verlinden, aged 34 years, 10 months and 7 days, vs  Norway on 25 March 1998
Oldest outfield debutant
Jozef Van Looy, aged 34 years, 2 months and 16 days, vs  England on 18 May 1950
Oldest player to feature at the World Cup finals
Wilfried Van Moer, aged 37 years, 3 months and 27 days, 1982 World Cup, vs  Poland on 28 June 1982
Youngest player to feature at the World Cup finals
Divock Origi, aged 19 years, 1 month and 30 days, 2014 World Cup, vs  Algeria on 17 June 2014
Oldest player to feature at the European Championship finals
Lorenzo Staelens, aged 36 years, 1 months and 20 days, Euro 2000, vs  Turkey on 19 June 2000
Youngest player to feature at the European Championship finals
Enzo Scifo, aged 18 years, 3 months and 25 days, Euro 1984, vs  Yugoslavia on 13 June 1984

On major tournaments[edit]

Most inclusions in a World Cup/European Championship finals squad
Jan Ceulemans (Euro 1980, 1982 World Cup, Euro 1984, 1986 World Cup and 1990 World Cup), Enzo Scifo (Euro 1984, 1986 World Cup, 1990 World Cup, 1994 World Cup and 1998 World Cup), Marc Wilmots (1990 World Cup, 1994 World Cup, 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000 and 2002 World Cup), Toby Alderweireld, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens, Simon Mignolet, Jan Vertonghen and Axel Witsel (2014 World Cup, Euro 2016, 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and 2022 World Cup), 5 tournaments
Most tournaments appeared in
Jan Ceulemans (Euro 1980, 1982 World Cup, Euro 1984, 1986 World Cup, 1990 World Cup), Enzo Scifo (Euro 1984, 1986 World Cup, 1990 World Cup, 1994 World Cup and 1998 World Cup), Toby Alderweireld, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens, Jan Vertonghen and Axel Witsel (2014 World Cup, Euro 2016, 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and 2022 World Cup), 5 tournaments
Most tournaments appeared in consecutively
Toby Alderweireld, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Dries Mertens, Jan Vertonghen and Axel Witsel (all played at 2014 World Cup, Euro 2016, 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and 2022 World Cup), 5 tournaments
Most total appearances at the World Cup and European Championship finals
Thibaut Courtois, 25 caps
Most total non-playing selections for the World Cup and European Championship finals
Simon Mignolet, 24 selections
Most total non-playing selections for the World Cup and European Championship finals without ever playing in a tournament
Simon Mignolet, 24 selections (still active) & Gilbert Bodart, 11 selections
Most appearances without ever playing at the World Cup finals or the European Championship finals
Jef Jurion, 64 caps
Fewest appearances while still playing at both the World Cup finals and European Championship finals
Jacky Peeters & Branko Strupar, 17 caps
Most appearances without ever being in a World Cup or European Championship finals squad
Jef Jurion, 64 caps
Most inclusions in a World Cup/European Championship finals squad without playing in the tournament
Simon Mignolet (2014 World Cup, Euro 2016, 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and 2022 World Cup), 5 tournaments
Most inclusions in a World Cup/European Championship finals squad without ever playing in a tournament
Simon Mignolet (2014 World Cup, Euro 2016, 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and 2022 World Cup), 5 tournaments
Most appearances at the Olympic Games finals
Jean de Bie, 6 caps (3 in 1920, 1 in 1924 and 2 in 1928)
First player to make tournament appearances in three separate decades
None

FIFA World Cup[edit]

Most inclusions in the squad for the World Cup finals
Franky Van der Elst, Enzo Scifo (both in 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998) & Marc Wilmots (1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002), 4 World Cups
Most appearances in different World Cup finals
Franky Van der Elst & Enzo Scifo (both in 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998), 4 World Cups
Most appearances at the World Cup finals
Enzo Scifo, 17 caps
Most appearances without ever playing at the World Cup finals
Jef Jurion, 64 caps
Most non-playing selections for the World Cup finals
Simon Mignolet, 15 selections
Most selections for the World Cup finals without ever playing in the tournament
Simon Mignolet, 15 selections
Fewest appearances while still playing at the World Cup finals
Gérard Delbeke, 1 cap
Players to debut at the World Cup finals

UEFA European Championship[edit]

Most inclusions in the squad for the European Championship finals
Maurice Martens (1972 & 1980), Jan Ceulemans, Jean-Marie Pfaff, Erwin Vandenbergh, René Vandereycken (1980 & 1984), Toby Alderweireld, Michy Batshuayi, Christian Benteke, Yannick Carrasco, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Jason Denayer, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Thomas Meunier, Dries Mertens, Simon Mignolet, Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen & Axel Witsel (2016 & 2020), 2 final tournaments
Most appearances at the European Championship finals
Thibaut Courtois & Romelu Lukaku, 10 caps
Most consecutive appearances at the European Championship finals
Jan Ceulemans, Jean-Marie Pfaff, Erwin Vandenbergh, René Vandereycken (1980 & 1984), Toby Alderweireld, Michy Batshuayi, Christian Benteke, Yannick Carrasco, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Jason Denayer, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Thomas Meunier, Dries Mertens, Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen & Axel Witsel (2016 & 2020), 2 final tournaments
Fewest appearances while still playing at the European Championship finals
Walter De Greef & Paul Lambrichts, 5 caps
Most appearances without ever playing at the European Championship finals
Timmy Simons, 94 caps
Appearances at most European Championship finals
Jan Ceulemans, Jean-Marie Pfaff, Erwin Vandenbergh, René Vandereycken (1980 & 1984), Toby Alderweireld, Michy Batshuayi, Christian Benteke, Yannick Carrasco, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Jason Denayer, Eden Hazard, Romelu Lukaku, Thomas Meunier, Dries Mertens, Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen & Axel Witsel (2016 & 2020), 2 final tournaments
Most non-playing selections for the European Championship finals
Simon Mignolet, 9 selections
Most non-playing selections for the European Championship finals without ever playing in the tournament
Simon Mignolet, 9 selections
Players to debut at the European Championship finals
Georges Grün, Euro 1984, vs  Yugoslavia on 13 June 1984

Goals[edit]

General[edit]

[23]

First goal
Georges Quéritet vs  France on 1 May 1904
Most goals
Romelu Lukaku (2010–present), 83[J]

As of 26 March 2024, the top ten players with the most goals for Belgium are:

(Goalscorers with an equal number of goals are ranked with the highest to lowest goals per game ratio.)

Romelu Lukaku is the all-time top scorer for Belgium with 83 goals.
Rank Player Belgium career Goals Caps Position Goals per game
1 Romelu Lukaku 2010– 83[J] 114[C] FW 0.73
2 Eden Hazard 2008–2022 33 126[E] MF/FW 0.26
3 Bernard Voorhoof 1928–1940 30 61 FW 0.49
Paul Van Himst 1960–1974 30 81 FW 0.37
5 Marc Wilmots 1990–2002 28 70 MF 0.4
6 Michy Batshuayi 2015– 27 55 FW 0.49
Joseph Mermans 1945–1956 27 56 FW 0.48
8 Robert De Veen 1906–1913 26 23 FW 1.13
Ray Braine 1925–1939 26 54 FW 0.48
Kevin De Bruyne 2010– 26 99 MF 0.26

The records are collected based on data from FIFA and RSSSF.
Highlighted names denote a player still playing or available for selection.

Players with the highest goals per game ratio (greater than one)

As of 19 November 2019, the players with the highest goals per game ratio (greater than one) for Belgium are:

(Players with an equal goals per game ratio are ranked by the most goals scored.)

Rank Player Belgium career Goals Caps Position Goals per game
1 Jules Van Craen 1940 4 2 FW 2
Georges Quéritet 1904 2 1 FW 2
3 Maurice Willems 1956–1957 4 3 FW 1.3333
4 Robert De Veen 1906–1913 26 23 FW 1.1304

The records are collected based on data from FIFA and RSSSF.
Highlighted names denote a player still playing or available for selection.

Most goals in competitive matches
Romelu Lukaku, 60
Jef Mermans scored in seven matches in a row.
Most consecutive matches scored in
Jef Mermans, 7
Most consecutive matches scored in starting with debut
Alphonse Six & Maurice Willems, 3 each
Most goals on debut
Josip Weber, 5 goals vs Zambia on 4 June 1994
Most matches played while scoring in each one
Maurice Willems, 3
Most goals in a single calendar year
Romelu Lukaku, 15 in 2023
Most goals scored by a defender
Daniel Van Buyten & Jan Vertonghen, 10 each
Christian Piot, the only goalkeeper ever to score a goal for Belgium
Most goals scored by a goalkeeper
Christian Piot, 1
First goal by a substitute
François Van den Eynde, vs  Irish Free State on 25 February 1934
Most goals scored as a substitute
Michy Batshuayi, 9
Most goals scored by a substitute in a single game
Bob Peeters, 3 goals vs  San Marino on 28 February 2001
Most appearances without ever scoring
Thibaut Courtois, 102[E]
Most appearances for an outfield player without ever scoring
Georges Heylens, 67
Most appearances needed to score his first goal
Franky Van der Elst, 79
Most goals scored in extra time
Latest goal scored by a player
Alphonse Six vs  Netherlands on 13 May 1910, in the 114th minute
Latest goal conceded by a goalkeeper
in the 119th minute
Goals in three separate decades
First Belgian goalscorer at the King Baudouin Stadium
August Hellemans (when it was still the Centenaire Stadium), Michaël Goossens (after it was renamed King Baudouin Stadium)
Scorers of own goals
Robert Hustin, Edgard Poelmans, Oscar Verbeeck, Émile Stijnen, Bob Paverick, Charles Saeys, Walter Meeuws, Régis Genaux, Philippe Albert, Timmy Simons, Olivier Deschacht, Bart Goor, Vincent Kompany and Nacer Chadli

Hat-tricks[edit]

See also: List of Belgium national football team hat-tricks
Most goals in a match
Including unofficial games: Herbert Potts, 7 goals vs Netherlands B on 28 April 1901[25]
Four goals in a match
Three goals in a match
Belgium's 'hat-trick hero' Robert De Veen scored three hat-tricks.
Most hat-tricks
Romelu Lukaku, 4 times
Fastest hat-trick
Romelu Lukaku, 13 minutes, vs  Azerbaijan on 19 November 2023
Fastest hat-trick as a substitute
Bob Peeters, 30 minutes, vs  San Marino on 28 February 2001
Youngest player to score a hat-trick
Jean Capelle, 18 years, 7 months and 10 days, vs  Denmark on 5 June 1932
Oldest player to score a hat-trick
Romelu Lukaku, 30 years, 6 months and 6 days, vs  Azerbaijan on 19 November 2023
Highest number of different players to score (at least) a hat-trick in the same game
Hat-tricks at major tournaments
Robert Coppée, vs Spain on 29 August 1920 (at the 1920 Olympics)

Penalties[edit]

First player to score a penalty
Gaston Hubin vs  France on 28 January 1912
Most goals scored from penalties
Eden Hazard, 10 goals
Most goals in penalty shoot-outs in competitive games[L]
Nico Claesen, Enzo Scifo, Hugo Broos, Patrick Vervoort and Leo Van der Elst, all 1 goal vs  Spain on 22 June 1986
Most goals in penalty shoot-outs, including friendlies

Fastest[edit]

In 2016, Christian Benteke scored the quickest ever goal in a competitive international so far, 8.1 seconds after kick-off.
Fastest goal from kickoff
Christian Benteke, 8.1 seconds vs  Gibraltar on 10 October 2016[26]
Fastest goal in debut match (since World War II)
Tom Caluwé, 2 minutes and 52 seconds vs  Saudi Arabia on 11 May 2006[27]
Fastest goal by a substitute
Marc Wilmots, 1 minute and 4 seconds vs  France on 25 March 1992[28]
Fastest goal at the World Cup finals
Thomas Meunier, 3 minutes and 36 seconds vs  England on 14 July 2018
Fastest goal at the European Championship finals
Romelu Lukaku, 9 minutes and 30 seconds vs  Russia on 12 June 2021

Age-related[edit]

Oldest goalscorer
Wilfried Van Moer, 37 years, 1 month and 27 days, vs Bulgaria on 28 April 1982
Youngest goalscorer
Fernand Nisot, 16 years, 10 months and 27 days, vs  Netherlands on 10 March 1912
Oldest goalscorer at the World Cup finals
Lei Clijsters, 33 years, 7 months and 11 days, 1990 FIFA World Cup, vs  Uruguay on 17 June 1990
Youngest goalscorer at the World Cup finals
Divock Origi, 19 years, 2 months and 4 days, 2014 FIFA World Cup, vs  Russia on 22 June 2014
Oldest goalscorer at the European Championship finals
Julien Cools, 33 years, 4 months and 2 days, Euro 1980, vs Spain on 15 June 1980
Youngest goalscorer at the European Championship finals
Émile Mpenza, 21 years, 11 months and 6 days, Euro 2000, vs  Sweden on 10 June 2000

On major tournaments[edit]

Most total goals at the World Cup and European Championship finals
Romelu Lukaku, 11 (1 at the 2014 World Cup, 2 at Euro 2016, 4 at the 2018 World Cup and 4 at Euro 2020)
Most consecutive tournaments with a goal
Romelu Lukaku, 4 (1 goal at the 2014 World Cup, 2 goals at Euro 2016, 4 goals at the 2018 World Cup and 4 goals at Euro 2020)
Most goals at the Olympic Games finals
Robert Coppée (in 1920) and Raymond Braine (in 1928), 4 each
Most goals in an Olympic Games finals match
Robert Coppée, 3 goals vs Spain on 29 August 1920, 1920 Summer Olympics

FIFA World Cup[edit]

Most goals in a single World Cup tournament
Romelu Lukaku, 4 (2018)
Marc Wilmots (pictured) and Romelu Lukaku became Belgium's all-time top scorers at the World Cup with five goals each.
Most total goals at World Cup tournaments
Marc Wilmots (1998 and 2002) and Romelu Lukaku (2014 and 2018), 5 each
Most goals in a single World Cup qualifying campaign
Romelu Lukaku, 11 (2018)
Most goals in a single World Cup finals match
Most goals in a single World Cup qualifying match
Marc Van Der Linden, 4 goals vs  Luxembourg on 1 June 1989, 1990 World Cup qualifying
First goal in a World Cup finals match
Bernard Voorhoof vs Nazi Germany Germany on 27 May 1934, 1934 World Cup
First goal in a World Cup qualifying campaign
Jean Capelle, vs  Irish Free State on 25 February 1934, 1934 World Cup qualifying

UEFA European Championship[edit]

Most goals in a single European Championship tournament
Romelu Lukaku, 4 (2020)
Most goals in total at European Championship tournaments
Romelu Lukaku, 6 (2016 and 2020)
Most goals in a single European Championship qualifying campaign
Romelu Lukaku (Euro 2024 qualifying), 14
Most goals in a single European Championship finals match
Romelu Lukaku, 2 goals vs  Republic of Ireland on 18 June 2016, Euro 2016, and 2 goals vs  Russia on 12 June 2021, Euro 2020
Most goals in a single European Championship qualifying match
First goal in a European Championship finals match
Odilon Polleunis vs  West Germany on 14 June 1972, Euro 1972
First goal in a European Championship qualifying campaign
Jacques Stockman vs  Yugoslavia on 4 November 1962, Euro 1964 qualifying

Captains[edit]

First captain
Camille Van Hoorden
Most appearances as captain
Eden Hazard, 59

Most captaincies[edit]

The following are the top ten players assigned as captain the most times (at the start of an international game):

Jef Jurion, the third-most serving Belgium captain, became Belgian champion nine times with Anderlecht.

Correct as of 1 December 2022, after the match against Croatia.

Rank Player Captaincy Times Position
1 Eden Hazard 2015–2022 59 MF/FW
2 Jan Ceulemans 1984–1991 48 MF/FW
3 Jef Jurion 1960–1967 39 MF
4 Paul Van Himst 1964–1974 38 FW
Vincent Kompany 2010–2019 38 DF
6 Armand Swartenbroeks 1914–1928 37 DF
7 Timmy Simons 2004–2009 36 DF/MF
8 Jef Mermans 1949–1956 30 FW
9 Eric Gerets 1980–1991 26 DF
10 Georges Grün 1989–1995 25 DF

Highlighted names denote a player still playing or available for selection.

Disciplinary[edit]

Red cards[edit]

2 expulsions
Eric Deflandre, Vincent Kompany and Axel Witsel
List of all Belgian players sent off once
Pierre Braine, Mathieu Bollen, Georges Heylens, Pierre Hanon, Walter Meeuws, Alexandre Czerniatynski, Philippe Albert, Pascal Renier, Gert Verheyen, Tjörven De Brul, Marc Wilmots, Filip De Wilde, Olivier De Cock, Bart Goor, Mousa Dembélé, Anthony Vanden Borre, Marouane Fellaini, Nicolas Lombaerts, Steven Defour and Amadou Onana
First player to get an expulsion
Pierre Braine, vs  Czechoslovakia on 26 May 1927
First substitute to get an expulsion
Mathieu Bollen, vs  Netherlands on 19 April 1959
First player to be expelled by receiving two yellow cards
Walter Meeuws, vs  Netherlands on 14 October 1981
First substitute to be expelled by receiving two yellow cards
None
Youngest player to get an expulsion
Mousa Dembélé, aged 19 years, 2 months and 25 days, vs  Azerbaijan on 11 October 2006
Oldest player to get an expulsion
Filip De Wilde, aged 35 years, 11 months and 14 days, vs  Turkey on 8 June 2000
Fastest expulsion by a starting player
27 minutes, Eric Deflandre vs  Scotland on 24 March 2001
Fastest expulsion by a substitute
3 minutes, Alexandre Czerniatynski, vs  Hungary on 6 June 1984
Fastest expulsion by receiving two yellow cards
29 minutes, Eric Deflandre, vs  Spain on 9 October 2004
Shortest time between two yellow cards
0 minutes, Eric Deflandre, vs  Spain on 9 October 2004

Devils Goor and Deflandre red from anger

 —Word-play in a 2004 newspaper heading. Only in one match of Belgium so far, two players received a red card. Both were very displeased with their five- and three-day suspensions afterwards.[29]

Highest number of expulsions of Belgian players in a single game
2 expulsions: Eric Deflandre and Bart Goor, vs  Spain on 9 October 2004
Highest total number of expulsions in a single game
3 expulsions; Georges Heylens (), Dobrivoje Trivić and Dragan Džajić (), vs  Yugoslavia on 16 October 1968

Yellow cards[edit]

First player to get a yellow card
Odilon Polleunis, vs Spain on 23 February 1969
First player to get a yellow card as a substitute
François Van der Elst, vs  Netherlands on 25 April 1976
Youngest player to get a yellow card
Anthony Vanden Borre, 17 years, 11 months and 14 days, vs  Spain on 8 October 2005
Oldest player to get a yellow card
Franky Van der Elst, 36 years, 11 months and 23 days, vs  Romania on 22 April 1998
Highest total of yellow cards received
18, Vincent Kompany

Miscellaneous[edit]

Player born on the earliest date
Joseph Romdenne, born in 1876, received his only cap on 14 May 1905 vs  Netherlands
First appearance by a player born in the 20th century
Cornelius Elst (born on 25 January 1901) on 21 May 1922 vs  Italy
Last appearance by a player born in the 19th century
Nicolas Hoydonckx (born on 29 December 1900) on 26 November 1933 vs  Denmark
First appearance by a player born in the 21st century
Yari Verschaeren (born on 12 July 2001) on 9 September 2019 vs  Scotland
First substitute
Georges Mathot replaced Charles Cambier after 46 minutes vs  Netherlands on 26 April 1908
Earliest time in the game to be substituted off
Vincent Kompany, vs  San Marino on 7 September 2005, in the 12th minute
First substitute who was substituted off again in the same game
Branko Strupar vs  Algeria on 14 May 2002
Shortest time between being subbed on and being subbed off
Christophe Lepoint vs  Finland on 11 August 2010, 15 minutes
Most substitutions in one game
Most simultaneous substitutions
  • 6, at half-time vs  Yugoslavia on 19 May 1986
  • 6, at half-time vs  Algeria on 14 May 2002
First game that went into extra time
On 30 April 1905, vs  Netherlands

Oranje team beaten by playful 'Anderlecht'

 —Dutch 1964 newspaper heading. It pointed to the fact that at a certain moment in Belgium's 1–0 win over the Netherlands all Belgians on the pitch came out for RSC Anderlecht[30]

Club providing the most Belgian internationals in a single match
Anderlecht, 11; in the match vs  Netherlands on 30 September 1964, all outfield players in the second half were from Anderlecht.
Belgian players who later became manager/head coach
Hector Goetinck, François Demol, André Vandeweyer, Guy Thys, Walter Meeuws, Paul Van Himst, Wilfried Van Moer, Georges Leekens, René Vandereycken, Franky Vercauteren (caretaker) and Marc Wilmots

Penalties[edit]

Most saves in penalty shoot-outs in competitive games
Jean-Marie Pfaff, 1 vs  Spain (penalty of Eloy Olaya) on 22 June 1986
Most saves in penalty shoot-outs, including friendlies
Philippe Vande Walle, 2 vs  England (penalties by Rob Lee and Les Ferdinand) on 29 May 1998
Most misses in penalty shoot-outs in competitive games
None
Most misses in penalty shoot-outs, including friendlies
Enzo Scifo, 1 vs  England on 29 May 1998

Clean sheets[edit]

Thibaut Courtois holds the record for clean sheets.
Most clean sheets
Thibaut Courtois, 51
Most clean sheets in competitive matches
Thibaut Courtois, 42
Most clean sheets in total at the World Cup and European Championship finals
Thibaut Courtois, 13 (2 at the 2014 World Cup, 3 at Euro 2016, 3 at the 2018 World Cup, 3 at Euro 2020 and 2 at the 2022 World Cup)
Most clean sheets in a single World Cup tournament
Thibaut Courtois, 3 (2018)
Most clean sheets in total at World Cup tournaments
Thibaut Courtois, 7 (2 in 2014, 3 in 2018 and 2 in 2022)
Most clean sheets in a single European Championship tournament
Thibaut Courtois, 3 (2016 and 2020)
Most clean sheets in total at European Championship tournaments
Thibaut Courtois, 6 (3 in 2016 and 3 in 2020)
Most clean sheets in a single Olympic Games finals tournament
Jean De Bie, 2 (1920)
Most clean sheets in total at the Olympic Games finals
Jean De Bie, 2 (both in 1920)

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ These records and statistics include caps and goals against Romania on 14 November 2012, against Luxembourg on 26 May 2014 and against Czech Republic on 5 June 2017, which were counted by RBFA, but are not officially recognised by FIFA – the former two due to an excessive number of substitutions according to the Laws of the Game,[1][2][3] the latter because the Belgian and Czech football federations were too late in requesting an official match.[4] When applicable, footnotes clarify the discrepancy.
  2. ^ This does not include the FIFA unrecognized friendly against the Czech Republic on 5 June 2017
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h This includes three caps in FIFA unrecognized friendlies
  4. ^ a b c d This includes two caps in FIFA unrecognized friendlies
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l This includes one cap in a FIFA unrecognized friendly
  6. ^ This includes three goals in FIFA unrecognized friendlies
  7. ^ a b This includes two selections for FIFA unrecognized friendlies
  8. ^ This includes three selections for FIFA unrecognized friendlies
  9. ^ This includes one selection in a FIFA unrecognized friendly
  10. ^ a b This includes three goals in FIFA unrecognized friendlies
  11. ^ This includes 1 hat-trick in a by the FIFA unrecognized friendly
  12. ^ Goals scored in penalty shoot-outs do not count on a player's overall scoring tally.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Football MATCH: 14.11.2012 (Romania v Belgium)". EU Football. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  2. ^ "Football MATCH: 26.05.2014 (Belgium v Luxembourg)". EU Football. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Rules & Governance – Law 3: The number of players". The FA. Archived from the original on 25 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
  4. ^ "Welles-nietesspel rond oefenmatch tegen Tsjechië: Daarom was het geen officiële wedstrijd" [Yes or no game about friendly against Czech Republic: this is why it was no official match] (in Dutch). Sporza. 6 June 2017. Archived from the original on 8 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  5. ^ "Belgium - List of International Matches". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  6. ^ "Nederland-België 5-5" (in Dutch). YouTube. 4 September 1999. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  7. ^ "Voetbal - Voetbal in Engeland". Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 9 January 1906. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  8. ^ a b Guldemont, Henry; Deps, Bob (1995). 100 ans de football en Belgique: 1895–1995, Union royale belge des sociétés de football association (in French). Brussels: Vif. p. 66. ISBN 90-5466-151-8.
  9. ^ "België-Zweden 1–8, Zweden kraakt België". Het Vaderland (in Dutch). 30 May 1924. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  10. ^ "Dertien maal een gat in de lucht..." De Tijd (Netherlands) (in Dutch). 26 November 1951. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  11. ^ "FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011.
  12. ^ "Belgium go top, Chile and Austria soar". FIFA. 5 November 2015. Archived from the original on 26 June 2016. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  13. ^ "World Football Elo Ratings: Belgium". World Football Elo Ratings web site and Advanced Satellite Consulting. Retrieved 18 August 2013.
  14. ^ Henshaw 1979, p. 76.
  15. ^ "Belgium v France − a 109-year-old rivalry". UEFA. 13 August 2013. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016.
  16. ^ a b Stokkermans, Karel (6 March 2014). "The "Derby der Lage Landen"". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  17. ^ Cruz, Santiago (12 June 2009). "Kirin Cup". RSSSF. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  18. ^ "Belgium and Turkey claim awards, Hungary return". 3 December 2015. Archived from the original on 21 July 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  19. ^ "Belgium honoured with the FIFA Fair Play Award". FIFA News. 29 June 2002. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014.
  20. ^ "Rode Duivels zijn grote slokop op Sportgala" (in Dutch). Sporza. 14 December 2014. Archived from the original on 14 December 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  21. ^ "Association Awards". RBFA. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  22. ^ "Men's Ranking". FIFA.com. Retrieved 14 December 2022.
  23. ^ a b "Belgium national football team match results". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  24. ^ "Alle Rode Duivels" (in Dutch). Royal Belgian Football Association. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
  25. ^ Fraiponts, Jean; Willocx, Dirk (2003). Kroniek van het Belgische voetbal / Pioniers en Rode Duivels - 1863-1906 (in Dutch). Vol. 1. Antwerp: Assoc. BE bvba. ISBN 978-90-77314-01-2.. Extract consulted online on 30 August 2010 on Beerschot Athletic Club
  26. ^ "Record-breaking Benteke scores after 8.1 seconds". UEFA.com. 10 October 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
  27. ^ "Invaller Michy Batshuayi (bijna) snelste Rode Duivel ooit die scoort bij interlanddebuut" (in Dutch). nr10.be. Archived from the original on 1 June 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
  28. ^ "Friendly Match 1992 : France vs Belgium". YouTube (in French). Retrieved 21 June 2018.
  29. ^ Reunes, Marc (29 October 2004). "Duivels Goor en Deflandre rood van woede". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 June 2015.
  30. ^ "Oranjeteam verslagen door dartel 'Anderlecht'". Het Vrije Volk (in Dutch). 1 October 1964. Retrieved 6 June 2015.

Sources[edit]

External links[edit]

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