In case you haven’t been notified, Belgium lost 1-0 to Israel last night. Enough to end a very difficult year 2024.
Between the diplomatic injuries and the dismaying level of play, the Devils gave the impression of having gone back 15 years, when the golden generation was barely making its appearance and clan wars divided the locker room. The figures confirm this sad impression.
By losing against Israel (81st in the FIFA rankings, wedged between Angola and the Sultanate of Oman), the Devils lost to a nation outside the top 50 for the first time since August 2010.
It was during a match in Finland. There Belgium lost 1-0 on an own goal from Vincent Kompany. That day, Kevin De Bruyne made his debut for the national team, surrounded by boys like Logan Bailly, Bernd Thijs, Christophe Lepoint and Bjorn Vleminckx.
86% of points taken in 2023, 38% in 2024
But there’s even worse: regularity over the entire calendar year. In 2024, the Devils have a record of 16 points out of 42, or 38% (two of the four victories coming from preparation matches for the Euro against Montenegro and Luxembourg).
At the time, René Vandereycken, Franky Vercauteren et Dick Lawyer followed one another with a result of 36%. Certainly, the opponents of 2024 are stronger (three times France, twice Italy, once England). But losing against Slovakia, Israel or failing to defeat Northern Ireland or Ukraine is not really encouraging for the play-offs.
