Belgium national football team records
This article lists various team and individual football records in relation to the Belgian national football team (The Red Devils). The page currently shows the records as of 13 November 2016, after the match against Estonia.
Team records
Wins
Red Devils are still kind
—Belgian newspaper heading after the national team won 10–1 against San Marino in 2001[2]
Incredible Josip Weber turns the Heysel into a shooting range
—Dutch newspaper subheading after Belgium's 9–0 home win against Zambia in 1994; Weber scored 5 times[3]
- Largest win
- 10–1 vs San Marino on 28 February 2001
- 9–0 vs Zambia on 4 June 1994
- Largest away win
- 0–6 vs Luxembourg on 14 October 1986
- 0–6 vs Gibraltar on 10 October 2016
- Largest win at the World Cup Finals
- 3–0 vs El Salvador on 3 June 1970, 1970 World Cup
- 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, VIIth Olympiad
Draws
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[4]
- 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
The English probably found a dozen enough!
—Mockery Dutch newspaper comment after Belgium's unofficial 12–0 loss to Corinthian, their biggest ever defeat[5]
- Largest defeat
- 11–2 vs England Amateurs on 17 April 1909
- Including unofficial games: 12–0 vs Corinthian on 6 January 1906[6]
- Largest defeat at home
- 1–9 vs England on 11 May 1927
- Largest defeat at the World Cup Finals
- 3–0 vs USA on 13 July 1930, 1930 World Cup
- 5–2 vs Germany on 27 May 1934, 1934 World Cup
- 4–1 vs Italy on 20 June 1954, 1954 World Cup
- 4–1 vs Soviet Union on 6 June 1970, 1970 World Cup
- 3–0 vs Poland on 28 June 1982, 1982 World Cup
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[7]
- Largest defeat at the Olympic Games finals
- 8-1 vs Sweden on 29 May 1924, VIIIth Olympiad
Goals
Scored
- Most goals scored in a single game
- 10 goals vs San Marino on 28 February 2001
- Most goals scored during an away game
- 7 goals vs Netherlands on 25 November 1951
- Most goals scored in a single game during the World Cup Finals, including extra time
- 4 goals vs England on 17 June 1954, 1954 World Cup
- 4 goals vs Soviet Union on 15 June 1986, 1986 World Cup
- Most goals scored in a single game during the World Cup Finals, not including extra time
- 3 goals vs England on 17 June 1954, 1954 World Cup
- 3 goals vs El Salvador on 3 June 1970, 1970 World Cup
- 3 goals vs Uruguay on 17 June 1990, 1990 World Cup
- 3 goals vs Russia on 14 June 2002, 2002 World Cup
- Most goals scored in a single game during the European Championship Finals
- 4 goals vs Hungary on 26 June 2016, Euro 2016
- Most goals scored in a single game during the Olympic Games finals
- 5 goals vs Luxembourg on 27 May 1928, IXth Olympiad
- Most different players scoring during a single game
- 6 players (Walter Baseggio, Bart Goor (2), Émile Mpenza, Bob Peeters (3), Yves Vanderhaeghe (2) & Marc Wilmots) vs San Marino on 28 February 2001
- 6 players (Thomas Buffel, Koen Daerden (2), Mbo Mpenza (2), Timmy Simons, Daniel Van Buyten & Kevin Vandenbergh) vs San Marino on 7 September 2005
Conceded
- Most goals conceded in a single game
- 11 goals vs England Amateurs on 17 April 1909
- Including unofficial games: 12 goals vs Corinthian on 6 January 1906[6]
- Most goals conceded during a home game
- 9 goals vs England on 11 May 1927
- Most goals conceded in a single game during the World Cup Finals
- 5 goals vs Germany on 27 May 1934, 1934 World Cup
- Most goals conceded in a single game during the European Championship Finals
- 5 goals vs France on 16 June 1984, Euro 1984
- Most goals conceded in a single game during the Olympic Games finals
- 8 goals vs Sweden on 29 May 1924, VIIIth Olympiad
Scored+conceded
- Highest total amount of goals in a single game
- 13 goals: 11–2 defeat against England Amateurs on 17 April 1909
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[8]
- 13 goals: 6–7 victory against Netherlands on 25 November 1951
Streaks
- Unbeaten record
- 14 games, from 2012 till 2013[note 1]
- Longest run without victory
- 13, from 1933 till 1935
- Most consecutive wins
- 7, from 1979 till 1980 and from 2012 till 2013[note 2]
- Most consecutive draws
- 4, from 1948 till 1949 and in 1998
- Most consecutive losses
- 7, from 1927 till 1928
- Most consecutive games with at least one goal scored
- 21, from 1937 till 1945
- Most consecutive games without a goal scored
- 5, in 1999
- Most consecutive games without a goal conceded
- 5, from 1972 till 1973 and in 1989
- Most consecutive games with at least one goal conceded
- 38, from 1928 till 1933
World Rankings
FIFA
Source: FIFA.com[10]
Belgium go top, Chile and Austria soar
—FIFA News announcing Belgium's highest ever FIFA World Ranking in November 2015[11]
- Highest FIFA ranking
- 1st (November 2015 – March 2016)
- Lowest FIFA ranking
- 71st (June 2007)
- Best Mover
- +25 (April 2011)
- Worst Mover
- -14 (September 2010)
Elo
Source: Eloratings.net[12]
- Highest Elo ranking
- 2nd (September 1920)
- Lowest Elo ranking
- 74th (September 2009)
Achievements
Major titles
- Olympic football tournament[13]
- Gold Medal (1): 1920
Friendly trophies
- 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
- Winners (1): 2002
- Winners (2): 2013, 2014
- Winners (1): 2015
Other achievements
- Fourth place (1): 1986
- Individual
- For individual recognitions at major tournaments, see FIFA World Cup awards and UEFA European Championship Teams of the Tournament.
- All players with at least 35 caps are awarded a Medal of Recognition by the Royal Belgian Football Association; also players whose careers are ended by an injury after 20 games receive this award.[20]
Appearances
General
- Most appearances
- Jan Ceulemans, 96 caps, 1977–91
The top 10 most capped players - players with an equal number of caps are ranked in chronological order of reaching the milestone
# | Name | Belgium career | Caps | Goals | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jan Ceulemans | 1977–1991 | 96 | 23 | MF/FW |
2 | Timmy Simons | 2001– | 94 | 6 | DF/MF |
3 | Jan Vertonghen | 2007– | 87 | 6 | DF |
4 | Eric Gerets | 1975–1991 | 86 | 2 | DF |
Franky Van der Elst | 1984–1998 | 86 | 1 | MF | |
6 | Enzo Scifo | 1984–1998 | 84 | 18 | MF |
7 | Daniel Van Buyten | 2001–2014 | 83 | 10 | DF |
8 | Paul Van Himst | 1960–1974 | 81 | 30 | FW |
9 | Bart Goor | 1999–2008 | 78 | 13 | MF |
Axel Witsel | 2008- | 78 | 8 | MF |
As of 13 November 2016. 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
- Mbo Mpenza, 28 caps
- Most times substituted off
- Eden Hazard, 30 caps
- Most games started on the bench
- Jean-François Gillet, 50 games
- Most selections (playing + non-playing)
- Timmy Simons, 113 selections
- Most selections as an unused substitute
- Jean-François Gillet, 49 selections
- Most selections as an unused substitute without ever earning a cap
- Jacques Duquesne, 16 selections
- Most selections needed to earn first cap
- Jean Valet, 15 caps
- Lowest caps to selections ratio
- 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
- Tom Soetaers, 8 caps
- Most appearances in the starting eleven
- Jan Ceulemans, 91 caps
- Most caps earned while not playing the entire game
- Romelu Lukaku, 50 caps
- Most caps earned while only playing entire games
- Bernard Voorhoof, 61 caps
- Most caps earned while playing an entire game
- Jan Ceulemans, 81 caps
- Most caps without ever being substituted off
- Georges Heylens, 67 caps
- Most caps without ever appearing as a substitute
- Eric Gerets, 86 caps
- Most caps needed to first play an entire game
- Romelu Lukaku, 23 caps
- Most caps needed to first appear in the starting eleven
- Mbo Mpenza, 9 caps
- Longest Belgian career
- Hector Goetinck, 6402 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
- Paul Van Himst (1960–'74) & Jan Ceulemans (1977–'91), 15 years
- Longest wait between appearances
- Hector Goetinck, 3476 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
- Georges Hebdin; 3 in the 1900s, 6 in the 1910s and 3 in 1920
- Hector Goetinck; 6 in the 1900s, 10 in the 1910s and 1 in 1923
- Bernard Voorhoof; 3 in 1928, 56 in the 1930s and 2 in 1940
- Vic Mees; 6 in 1949, 57 in the 1950s and 5 in 1960
- Wilfried Van Moer; 14 in the 1960s, 25 in the 1970s and 18 in the 1980s
- Jan Ceulemans; 10 in the 1970s, 75 in the 1980s and 11 in the 1990s
- Michel Preud'homme; 1 in 1979, 17 in the 1980s and 41 in the 1990s
- Eric Gerets; 19 in the 1970s, 57 in the 1980s and 10 in the 1990s
- Erwin Vandenbergh; 1 in 1979, 43 in the 1980s and 4 in the 1990s
- Filip De Wilde; 1 in 1989, 26 in the 1990s and 6 in 2000
- Danny Boffin; 2 in 1989, 39 in the 1990s and 14 in the 2000s
- Luc Nilis; 9 in the 1980s, 42 in the 1990s and 5 in 2000
- Smallest amount 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
- First appearance by a player who was playing abroad
- Raymond Braine (Sparta Prague), 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
- Paul Van Den Berg (Union), Belgian Second Division, vs Portugal on 3 May 1964
- Last appearance by a player from outside the top division of any country
- Radja Nainggolan (Piacenza), Italian Serie B, vs Chile on 29 May 2009
- Players who have never played for the first team of a Belgian club
- Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen, Kevin Mirallas, Eden Hazard, Toby Alderweireld, Radja Nainggolan, Dedryck Boyata, Nacer Chadli, Zakaria Bakkali, Divock Origi, Adnan Januzaj, Yannick Carrasco, Jason Denayer & Luis Pedro Cavanda
- Most appearances without ever playing for the first team of a Belgian club
- Jan Vertonghen, 87 caps
- Most appearances while active with a non-Belgian club
- Jan Vertonghen (Ajax & Tottenham), 87 caps
- Players appearing against the country of their birth
- Stanley Vanden Eynde vs Netherlands on 3 May 1931, 9 April 1933, 7 May 1933, 2 May 1937, and 27 February 1938
- Erwin Vandendaele vs France on 15 November 1970, 12 October 1974 and 15 November 1975
- Branko Strupar vs Croatia on 2 September 2000
- 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 3 friendlies for Croatia in 1992, but switched to the Belgian national team in 1994
- Mehdi Carcela-González played 2 friendlies for Belgium in 2009-2010, before opting for Morocco in 2011
- Nacer Chadli, played 1 friendly for Morocco in 2010, before opting for Belgium in 2011
- Players capped while active outside of Europe
- Émile Mpenza: Al Rayyan ( Qatar), 3 caps
- Laurent Ciman: Montreal Impact ( Canada), 7 caps
Age-related
- Youngest player
- Fernand Nisot, 16 years and 19 days, on 30 April 1911 vs Netherlands
These 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
# | Player (Team) | 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, 296 days | FW |
4 | Paul Van Himst (Anderlecht) | 17 years, 17 days | FW |
5 | Jean Capelle (Standard Liège) | 17 years, 153 days | FW |
6 | Joseph Musch (Union) | 17 years, 198 days | DF |
7 | Zakaria Bakkali (PSV) | 17 years, 262 days | MF |
8 | Vincent Kompany (Anderlecht) | 17 years, 314 days | DF |
9 | Eden Hazard (Lille) | 17 years, 316 days | MF/FW |
10 | Ray Braine (Beerschot) | 17 years, 321 days | FW |
11 | Bernard Voorhoof (Lierse) | 17 years, 338 days | FW |
- Oldest player
- Timmy Simons, 39 years, 11 months and 2 days, vs Estonia on 13 November 2016
The top 10 oldest players for the national football team of Belgium, their team at that time and their usual position
# | Player (Team) | Age | Position |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Timmy Simons (Club Brugge) | 39 years, 338 days | DF/MF |
2 | Jean De Bie (Racing Brussels) | 38 years, 19 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 | Danny Boffin (Sint-Truiden) | 36 years, 320 days | MF |
8 | Eric Gerets (PSV) | 36 years, 313 days | DF |
9 | Michel De Wolf (Marseille) | 36 years, 231 days | DF |
10 | Daniel Van Buyten (Bayern Munich) | 36 years, 148 days | DF |
Highlighted names denote a player still playing or available for selection.
- Youngest goalkeeper
- Robert Hustin, 18 years, 6 months and 24 days, vs France on 9 May 1905
- Oldest debutant
- Dany Verlinden, 34 years, 10 months and 7 days, vs Norway on 25 March 1998
- Oldest outfield debutant
- Jozef Van Looy, 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, 37 years, 3 months and 27 days, 1982 FIFA World Cup, vs Poland on 28 June 1982
- Youngest player to feature at the World Cup finals
- Divock Origi, 19 years, 1 month and 30 days, 2014 FIFA World Cup, vs Algeria on 17 June 2014
- Oldest player to feature at the European Championship finals
- Lorenzo Staelens, 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, 18 years, 3 months and 25 days, Euro 1984, vs Yugoslavia on 13 June 1984
On major tournaments
- Most tournaments appeared in consecutively
- Jan Ceulemans, Jean-Marie Pfaff and Erwin Vandenbergh, 4 tournaments (all played at Euro 1980, World Cup 1982, Euro 1984 and World Cup 1986)
- Most appearances on aggregate at the World Cup and European Championship finals
- Jan Ceulemans, 23 caps
- Most non-playing selections on aggregate for the World Cup and European Championship finals
- Jacky Munaron, 13 selections
- Most non-playing selections on aggregate for the World Cup and European Championship finals without ever playing in a tournament
- 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
- First player to make tournament appearances in three separate decades
- None
FIFA World Cup
- Most selections in the squad for the World Cup finals
- Franky Van der Elst, Enzo Scifo (both at the 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998 World Cups) & Marc Wilmots (1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002 World Cups), 4 World Cups
- Most appearances in different World Cup finals
- Franky Van der Elst, Enzo Scifo, both at the 1986, 1990, 1994 and 1998 World Cups), 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
- Gilbert Bodart, 11 selections
- Most selections for the World Cup finals without ever playing in the tournament
- Gilbert Bodart, 11 selections
- Fewest appearances while still playing at the World Cup finals
- Gérard Delbeke, 1 cap
- First player to debut at the World Cup finals
- Henri De Deken & Gérard Delbeke, 1930 FIFA World Cup, vs Paraguay on 20 July 1930
UEFA European Championship
- Most selections in the squad for the European Championship finals
- Maurice Martens (Euro 1972 & Euro 1980), Jan Ceulemans (Euro 1980 & Euro 1984), Jean-Marie Pfaff (Euro 1980 & Euro 1984), Erwin Vandenbergh (Euro 1980 & Euro 1984) and René Vandereycken (Euro 1980 & Euro 1984), 2 final tournaments
- Most appearances at the European Championship finals
- Jan Ceulemans, Jean-Marie Pfaff & René Vandereycken, 7 caps
- Most consecutive appearances at the European Championship finals
- Jan Ceulemans, Jean-Marie Pfaff, Erwin Vandenbergh & René Vandereycken, 2 final tournaments (Euro 1980 & Euro 1984)
- 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, 2 final tournaments (Euro 1980 & Euro 1984)
- Most non-playing selections for the European Championship finals
- Jean-François Gillet, Christian Kabasele, Maurice Martens & Simon Mignolet, 5 selections
- Most non-playing selections for the European Championship finals without ever playing in the tournament
- Jean-François Gillet, Christian Kabasele & Simon Mignolet, 5 selections
- First player to debut at the European Championship finals
- Georges Grün, Euro 1984, vs Yugoslavia on 13 June 1984
Goals
General
- First goal
- Georges Quéritet vs France on 1 May 1904
- Most goals
- Bernard Voorhoof (1928–'40) and Paul Van Himst (1960–'74), both 30
As of 13 November 2016, the 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.)
# | Name | Belgium career | Goals | Caps | Position | Goals per game |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Bernard Voorhoof | 1928–1940 | 30 | 61 | FW | 0.4918 |
Paul Van Himst | 1960–1974 | 30 | 81 | FW | 0.3704 | |
3 | Joseph Mermans | 1945–1956 | 28 | 56 | FW | 0.5000 |
Marc Wilmots | 1990–2002 | 28 | 70 | MF | 0.4000 | |
5 | Robert De Veen | 1906–1913 | 26 | 23 | FW | 1.1304 |
6 | Wesley Sonck | 2001–2010 | 24 | 55 | FW | 0.4364 |
7 | Ray Braine | 1925–1939 | 23 | 52 | FW | 0.4423 |
Marc Degryse | 1984–1996 | 23 | 63 | FW | 0.3651 | |
9 | Jan Ceulemans | 1976–1991 | 22 | 96 | MF/FW | 0.2292 |
10 | Rik Coppens | 1949–1959 | 21 | 47 | FW | 0.4468 |
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 13 November 2016, 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.)
# | Name | 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
- Marc Wilmots, 18
- Scoring in most consecutive matches
- Jef Mermans, 7 games in a row
- Scoring in most consecutive matches starting with debut
- Alphonse Six & Maurice Willems, 3 games in a row
- Most goals on debut
- Josip Weber, 5 goals vs Zambia on 4 June 1994
- Most goals in a single calendar year
- Jef Mermans, 12 goals in 1950
- Most goals scored by a defender
- Daniel Van Buyten (10)
- 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
- Marc Wilmots, Wesley Sonck, Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku, 4 goals
- Most goals scored by a substitute in a single game
- Bob Peeters, 3 goals vs San Marino on 28 February 2001
- Most appearances for an outfield player without ever scoring
- Georges Heylens, 67 matches
- Most appearances needed to score his first goal
- Franky Van der Elst, 79 matches
- Goals in three separate decades
- Bernard Voorhoof; 1 in 1928, 28 in the 1930s and 1 in 1940
- Erwin Vandenbergh; 1 in 1979, 18 in the 1980s and 1 in 1991
- 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 and Vincent Kompany
Hat-tricks
- Most goals in a match
- Robert De Veen, 5 goals vs France on 30 April 1911
- Bert De Cleyn, 5 goals vs Luxembourg on 23 February 1946
- Josip Weber, 5 goals vs Zambia on 4 June 1994
- Including unofficial games: Herbert Potts, 7 goals vs Netherlands B on 28 April 1901[23]
- Four goals in a match/Most goals in an away game
- Marc Van Der Linden, vs Luxembourg on 1 June 1989
- Three goals in a match
- at 33 occasions, see the list of Belgium hat-tricks
- Most hat-tricks
- Robert De Veen, 3 times
- Fastest hat-trick
- Robert De Veen, 22 minutes, vs France on 30 April 1911
- 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
- Josip Weber, 29 years, 6 months and 16 days, vs Zambia on 4 June 1994
Penalties
- First player to score a penalty
- Gaston Hubin vs France on 28 January 1912
- Most goals scored from penalties
- Raoul Lambert and Timmy Simons, 6 goals
- Most goals in penalty shoot-outs in competitive games[note 3]
- 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
- Nico Claesen, Enzo Scifo, Hugo Broos, Patrick Vervoort and Leo Van der Elst, all 1 goal vs Spain on 22 June 1986
- Eric Van Meir, Vital Borkelmans, Mbo Mpenza and Philippe Vande Walle, all 1 goal vs England on 29 May 1998
Fastest
- Fastest goal from kickoff
- Christian Benteke, 8.1 seconds vs Gibraltar on 10 October 2016[24]
- Fastest goal in debut match (since World War II)
- Tom Caluwé, 2 minutes and 52 seconds vs Saudi Arabia on 11 May 2006[25]
- Fastest goal at the World Cup finals
- Pol Anoul, in the 5th minute vs England on 17 June 1954
- Fastest goal at the European Championship finals
- Toby Alderweireld, 9 minutes and 32 seconds vs Hungary on 26 June 2016
Age-related
- 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
- Most consecutive goalscoring tournaments
- Erwin Vandenbergh; 1 at the 1982 World Cup, 1 at Euro 1984 and 1 at the 1986 World Cup
- Most goals in an Olympic Games finals match
- Robert Coppée, 3 goals vs Spain on 29 August 1920
FIFA World Cup
- Most goals in a single World Cup tournament
- Jan Ceulemans (in 1986) and Marc Wilmots (in 2002), 3 goals
- Most goals in total at World Cup tournaments
- Marc Wilmots, 5 goals (in 1998, 2002)
- Most goals in a single World Cup qualifying campaign
- Marc Wilmots, 7 goals (in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers)
- Most goals in a single World Cup finals match
- Bernard Voorhoof, 2 goals vs Germany on 27 May 1934
- Pol Anoul, 2 goals vs England on 17 June 1954
- Wilfried Van Moer, 2 goals vs El Salvador on 3 June 1970
- Marc Wilmots, 2 goals vs Mexico on 20 June 1998
- Most goals in a single World Cup qualifying match
- Marc Van Der Linden, 4 goals vs Luxembourg on 1 June 1989
- First goal in a World Cup finals match
- Bernard Voorhoof, 1934 FIFA World Cup vs Germany on 27 May 1934
- First goal in a World Cup qualifying campaign
- Jean Capelle, vs Irish Free State on 25 February 1934
UEFA European Championship
- Most goals in a single European Championship tournament
- Romelu Lukaku & Radja Nainggolan, 2 goals
- Most goals in total at European Championship tournaments
- Jan Ceulemans, Romelu Lukaku & Radja Nainggolan 2 goals
- Most goals in a single European Championship qualifying campaign
- Nico Claesen, 7 goals, 1988 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying
- Most goals in a single European Championship finals match
- Romelu Lukaku, 2 goals vs Republic of Ireland on 18 June 2016
- Most goals in a single European Championship qualifying match
- Jacques Stockman, 3 goals vs Luxembourg on 19 March 1967
- Nico Claesen, 3 goals vs Luxembourg on 14 October 1986
- Nico Claesen, 3 goals vs Scotland on 1 April 1987
- First goal in a European Championship finals match
- Odilon Polleunis vs West Germany on 14 June 1972
- First goal in a European Championship qualifying campaign
- Jacques Stockman vs Yugoslavia on 4 November 1962
Captains
- First captain
- Camille Van Hoorden
- Most appearances as captain
- Jan Ceulemans
Most captaincies
Top-10 of players most often assigned as captain (at the start of an international game)
Correct as of 13 November 2016 after the match against Estonia. Only FIFA-recognised matches are included.[note 4]
# | Name | Captaincy | Times | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Jan Ceulemans | 1984–'91 | 48 | MF/FW |
2 | Jef Jurion | 1960–'67 | 39 | MF |
3 | Paul Van Himst | 1964–'74 | 38 | FW |
4 | Armand Swartenbroeks | 1914–'28 | 37 | DF |
5 | Timmy Simons | 2004–'09 | 36 | DF/MF |
6 | Vincent Kompany | 2010– | 34 | DF |
7 | Jef Mermans | 1949–'56 | 30 | FW |
8 | Eric Gerets | 1980–'91 | 26 | DF |
9 | Georges Grün | 1989–'95 | 25 | DF |
10 | Marc Wilmots | 1999–2002 | 23 | MF |
Disciplinary
Red cards
- 2 expulsions
- Eric Deflandre and Vincent Kompany
- 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, Axel Witsel, Nicolas Lombaerts and Steven Defour
- First player to get an expulsion
- Pierre Braine, vs Netherlands 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, 19 years, 2 months and 25 days, vs Azerbaijan on 11 October 2006
- Oldest player to get an expulsion
- Filip De Wilde, 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.[26]
- Highest amount of expulsions of Belgian players in a single game
- 2 expulsions: Eric Deflandre and Bart Goor, vs Spain on 9 October 2004
- Highest total amount of expulsions in a single game
- 3 expulsions: Georges Heylens (), Dobrivoje Trivić () and Dragan Džajić (), vs Yugoslavia on 16 October 1968
Yellow cards
- 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
- 17, Vincent Kompany
Miscellaneous
- Player born on the earliest date
- Joseph Romdenne, born in 1876, received his only cap on 14 May 1905 vs Netherlands
- First substitute
- Georges Mathot substituted Charles Cambier after 46' vs Netherlands on 26 April 1908
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[27]
- Club providing the most Belgian internationals in a single match
- RSC Anderlecht, 11; in the match vs Netherlands on 30 September 1964 in the second half all players 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
- 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
Footnotes
- ↑ Note that the loss against Romania on 14 November 2012 was not FIFA-recognised because Romania made 8 substitutions while only 6 were allowed.[9]
- ↑ Note that the loss against Romania on 14 November 2012 was not FIFA-recognised because Romania made 8 substitutions while only 6 were allowed.[9]
- ↑ Goals scored in penalty shoot-outs do not count on a player's overall scoring tally.
- ↑ Note that the friendlies against Romania on 14 November 2012 and against Luxembourg on 26 May 2014 are not FIFA-recognised due to an excessive number of substitutions.[9]
References
- ↑ "Belgium - List of International Matches". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 1 July 2016. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
- ↑ Vandewalle, Ludo (1 Mar 2001). "Rode Duivels zijn nog braaf". De Standaard (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 Jun 2015.
- ↑ "Lach breekt door bij duivels...". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 6 Jun 1994. Retrieved 8 Aug 2015.
- ↑ "Nederland-België 5-5" (in Dutch). YouTube. 4 Sep 1999. Retrieved 3 Jun 2015.
- ↑ "Voetbal - Voetbal in Engeland.". Rotterdamsch Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). 9 Jan 1906. Retrieved 8 Aug 2015.
- 1 2 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.
- ↑ "België-Zweden 1–8, Zweden kraakt België.". Het Vaderland (in Dutch). 30 May 1924. Retrieved 13 Jun 2015.
- ↑ "Dertien maal een gat in de lucht...". De Tijd (Netherlands) (in Dutch). 26 Nov 1951. Retrieved 5 Jun 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Rules & Governance - Law 3: The number of players". The Football Association. Retrieved 25 Oct 2014.
- ↑ "FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking". FIFA.
- ↑ "Belgium go top, Chile and Austria soar". FIFA. 5 November 2015. Archived from the original on 26 June 2016. Retrieved 5 Nov 2015.
- ↑ "World Football Elo Ratings: Belgium". World Football Elo Ratings web site and Advanced Satellite Consulting. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 18 Aug 2013.
- ↑ Henshaw 1979, p. 76.
- ↑ "Belgium v France − a 109-year-old rivalry". UEFA. 13 August 2013. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016.
- 1 2 Stokkermans, Karel (6 March 2014). "The "Derby der Lage Landen"". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 29 June 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
- ↑ Cruz, Santiago (12 Jun 2009). "Kirin Cup". RSSSF. Retrieved 10 Nov 2014.
- ↑ "Belgium honoured with the FIFA Fair Play Award". FIFA News. 29 Jun 2002.
- ↑ "Rode Duivels zijn grote slokop op Sportgala" (in Dutch). Sporza. 14 Dec 2014. Retrieved 14 Dec 2014.
- ↑ "Belgium and Turkey claim awards, Hungary return". 3 December 2015. Archived from the original on 21 July 2016. Retrieved 30 Dec 2015.
- ↑ "Association Awards". RBFA. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- 1 2 "Belgium national football team match results". eu-football.info. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ↑ "Alle Rode Duivels" (in Dutch). Royal Belgian Football Association. Retrieved 14 August 2013.
- ↑ Fraiponts, Jean; Willocx, Dirk (2003). Kroniek van het Belgische voetbal / Pioniers en Rode Duivels - 1863-1906 (in Dutch). 1. Antwerp: Assoc. BE bvba. ISBN 978-90-77314-01-2.. Extract consulted online on 30 August 2010 on Beerschot Athletic Club
- ↑ "Record-breaking Benteke scores after 8.1 seconds - European Qualifiers - News - Uefa.com". uefa.com (in eng). 10 October 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ↑ "Invaller Michy Batshuayi (bijna) snelste Rode Duivel ooit die scoort bij interlanddebuut" (in Dutch). nr10.be. Retrieved 6 Jun 2015.
- ↑ Reunes, Marc (29 Oct 2004). "Duivels Goor en Deflandre rood van woede". Het Nieuwsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 Jun 2015.
- ↑ "Oranjeteam verslagen door dartel 'Anderlecht'". Het Vrije Volk (in Dutch). 1 Oct 1964. Retrieved 6 Jun 2015.
External links
- RBFA website about all matches
- RSSSF archive of results 1904–
- RSSSF archive of most capped players and highest goalscorers
- The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking
- World Football Elo Ratings
- The Red Devils Archive