Belgium Ready for Knockout Rounds Against Senegal

Belgium arrive at the World Cup knockout rounds with something they have not had all tournament: a clean bill of health and a clear head.

On the eve of their last-16 clash with Senegal in Seattle, coach Rudi Garcia cut a quietly bullish figure. The group-stage grind, the half-fit stars, the absentees for personal reasons – all of that, he insisted, now belongs to the past.

“Before this game against Senegal, we are lucky to have everyone available, and that's a good thing because it was not the case for the first three games,” Garcia said on Tuesday. “Everyone was not 100 percent, unfortunately, or everyone was not completely fit. But this is over.”

It is a timely shift. Belgium’s campaign has been steady rather than spectacular, but it has gathered a dangerous kind of momentum.

From Stumbles to a Statement

The Red Devils opened Group G with back-to-back draws against Egypt and Iran, results that left more questions than answers about a side still trying to knit together form and fitness.

They answered some of those doubts with a ruthless 5-1 dismantling of New Zealand, a result that not only secured top spot in the group but also restored a sense of authority to a team used to carrying expectation.

“We wanted to end first in the group and this is what we did,” Garcia said. “I wish we had won more games, all the games, but we're not going to go back in the past. What matters now is that we progressed out of the group stage.”

The message was clear: the table says Belgium finished where they were supposed to. Now the real tournament starts.

Lukaku, Doku, De Ketelaere: Problems Easing, Weapons Returning

Perhaps the biggest boost for Belgium lies in attack. Romelu Lukaku, the country’s all-time leading scorer, arrived at this World Cup under a cloud. A nagging hamstring issue restricted him to barely an hour of football for Napoli last season. Match rhythm was a concern. So was reliability.

Yet even in limited minutes off the bench, Lukaku has left his mark. His presence alone changes the geometry of a game, dragging defenders, opening lanes, turning hopeful crosses into genuine chances. With every substitute appearance, he has looked a little sharper, a little more like the old battering ram at the heart of Belgium’s best nights.

Jeremy Doku’s path has been different but no less disruptive. The winger missed Belgium’s second group match to attend the birth of his son in London, a joyous absence but an absence all the same. Charles De Ketelaere, meanwhile, sat out the 0-0 draw with Iran due to a knee issue, another creative outlet stuck on the sidelines.

Now, those concerns have eased.

“Jeremy, Romelu are getting better. Charles, I think that his problem is over as well,” Garcia said, underlining the renewed optimism rippling through the camp.

For a coach, there are few better feelings than seeing your medical report shrink to a footnote just as the stakes rise.

No Favourites, No Illusions

The stakes are exactly what sharpen the focus now. Group-stage slips can be patched over. In the knockouts, there is no safety net.

Attention turns to Senegal, a side that will test Belgium’s composure and physicality in equal measure. The margin for error, as Garcia and his players know, has narrowed to almost nothing.

Inside the squad, there is no appetite for complacency. Atalanta forward De Ketelaere pointed to Paraguay’s shock win over Germany on Monday as the latest reminder that reputations count for very little once the whistle blows.

“I don't think it matters who is the favourite,” De Ketelaere said. “It matters that we have confidence in ourselves and that we are sharp tomorrow to just go win this game, because yesterday showed us that to be favourites or not, it doesn't matter.

“We need to be alert and sharp to win the game.”

That line – alert and sharp – could double as Belgium’s new mantra. They have their stars back, their fitness restored, their group topped. The excuses have gone. The safety net has gone with them.

What remains is a knockout tie against a dangerous Senegal side and a simple question: with everything finally in place, how far can this Belgium team really go?