Belgium have included defender Nathan Ngoy and forward Romeo Vermant in their squad for the first time as they look to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup in the final Group J matches against Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein this month.
The pair are benefiting from a slew of injuries for coach Rudi Garcia’s side, who have a one-point lead over second-placed North Macedonia with a game in hand and will qualify with a win over the Kazakhs in Astana on Saturday.
The group winners qualify directly for next year’s World Cup in North America, while the runners-up advance to the play-offs.
«As everyone knows, there are quite a few injured players in the squad,» Garcia told a press conference on Friday while naming the squad, «but Vermant and Ngoy have both proven to their clubs that they are worthy of selection.»
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Belgium is without Kevin De Bruyne, Zeno Debast, Malick Fofana and record scorer Romelu Lukaku.
21-year-old Vermant has started in the domestic league and the Champions League with Club Brugge, while 22-year-old Ngoy has made a successful move to the French Ligue 1 with Lille after playing for Standard Liège last season.
«Romeo brings a breath of fresh air, enthusiasm and fighting spirit. Ngoy, in turn, has been a permanent fixture at Lille for some time. Both still have a lot to prove, but they can eventually become permanent fixtures,» the coach added.
Captain Youri Tielemans is back in the squad after an injury, after making a comeback for Aston Villa as a substitute in the Europa League on Thursday.
He was named Belgium captain in September but missed last month’s key qualifiers against North Macedonia and Wales. Midfielder Kevin De Bruyne took over the captaincy at the time, but he is now injured after hamstring surgery.
After Saturday’s trip to Kazakhstan, Belgium completes its campaign at home against Liechtenstein in Liège on Tuesday.
Belgian selection:
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Manchester United), Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest), Maarten Vandevoort (RB Leipzig)
Defenders: Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton & Hove Albion), Koni De Winter (AC Milan), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Diego Moreira (Racing Strasbourg), Nathan Ngoy (Lille), Joaquin Seys (Club Brugge), Artur Theats (Eneth Frankfurt)
Midfielders: Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Charles Vanhoutte (Nice), Axel Witsel (Girona)
Forwards: Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Dodi Lukebakio (Benfica), Lois Openda (RB Leipzig), Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal), Romeo Vermant (Club Brugge) (Writing by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Published on November 7, 2025
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