World Cup 2026: De Bruyne remains cautious for Belgium

The Red Devils’ leader tempers expectations

World Cup 2026 05 April 2026 at 03:32

With just a few months to go before the 2026 World Cup, Kevin De Bruyne is calling for calm around the Belgian team. The Red Devils’ captain refuses to get carried away, despite the team’s convincing qualification.

For the SSC Napoli player, the situation is different from 2018, when Belgium finished on the podium. Facing this new-look squad, De Bruyne prefers to set a realistic target:

In 2018, we had an exceptional team. Today, many young players are coming through. The goal is, first and foremost, to get out of the group. After that, anything can happen.

Drawn into a manageable group with Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand, Belgium is the favorite on paper. But for De Bruyne, only what happens on the pitch will matter.

🗣️| 🇧🇪 Kevin De Bruyne on the expectation the next World Cup:

‘I don’t know, I think there’s less expectation than before. Obviously we had a very special group in 2018, now there are many new players. Let’s start by getting through the group stage, then it depends on who we… pic.twitter.com/eNHHShAsbF
— Absolute Belgian Fans 🇧🇪 (@BelgianFans) April 4, 2026