Belgium stormed into next year’s World Cup with a dominant 7–0 victory over Liechtenstein on Tuesday, completing their qualifying campaign unbeaten.
The win — their fifth in eight matches — put Belgium at the top of Group J with 18 points, two ahead of Wales, earning them a spot at the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere each bagged a brace, while Hans Vanaken, Brandon Mechele and Alexis Saelemaekers added their names to the scoresheet. Belgium’s relentless second-half performance included four goals in a frantic seven-minute surge.
The Red Devils will now head to their 15th World Cup appearance, having previously reached the semifinals twice.
Belgium wasted no time asserting control, as Vanaken headed in a Youri Tielemans cross just 150 seconds into the match at Stade Maurice Dufrasne.
“We wanted to get the crowd behind us quickly,” Vanaken said.
The second goal arrived in the 35th minute when Saelemaekers pulled the ball back for an unmarked Doku, who finished calmly. Doku struck again six minutes later, weaving through three defenders before slotting home Belgium’s third.
Tielemans played a key role in the early stages of the second half, flicking on a pass for Mechele to tap in the fourth in the 52nd minute. Three minutes later, Saelemaekers buried a rebound after Tielemans’ shot was parried away.
De Ketelaere then completed the rout with two quick goals in the 57th and 59th minutes — the first assisted by Doku and the second by Thomas Meunier.
“It was a beautiful evening and just great fun to play here,” De Ketelaere said. “The national anthem that echoed in the stadium was the best I’ve ever experienced.”
Belgium had come under scrutiny after a 1–1 draw with Kazakhstan on Saturday postponed their qualification, but Tuesday’s emphatic win erased any lingering frustration.
Liechtenstein concluded their campaign without scoring a single goal — the only team in the European qualifiers to do so.
