This article is part of the Guardian’s Euro 2025 Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 16 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from two teams each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 2 July.
Overview
The year started with a big surprise and shake-up of the national team setup with the longtime coach Ives Serneels sacked after 14 years in the post. He had taken Belgium to Euro 2025 but the playoff wins against Greece and Ukraine were unconvincing and made the Belgian FA wonder if the team was still improving under him.
The answer was no and in came Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir and under her the team finished third in an extremely tough Nations League group made up of Spain, England and Portugal. She moved to a 5-4-1 out of possession and is trying to make Belgium a team that thrives on quick transitions. In the striker Tessa Wullaert and the right wing-back Jill Janssens Belgium have two fast players who are good at running in behind the defence.
In attack the 5-4-1 switches to a rather adventurous 3-4-3 with the left wing-back Davina Philtjens joining midfield, Janssens joining the attack and Hannah Eurlings leaving her inverted position in midfield to become a left-winger.
During the short international breaks, Gunnarsdóttir and her team have focused on what happens in both penalty areas and at set pieces. There is still work to be done in possession, though. “In the weeks before Euro 2025, all the focus will be on our buildup play,” she said. “We still have to improve a lot there.”
During the Nations League campaign, Belgium often panicked slightly when they had the ball, especially when building from the back. However, they picked up six out of a possible nine points from their final three games against England, Spain and Portugal, including a notable win against the reigning European champions. That helped increase the interest around the team and in May, against Spain, a record crowd of 8,054 showed up.
Three players – Saar Janssen, Laura De Neve and Féli Delacauw – will all miss the tournament with serious knee injuries and Sari Kees, normally a rock in defence, has had her own injury problems but made the final squad.
The most recent friendly, against France, ended with a rather chastening 5-0 defeat. “The first half was the most disappointing 45 minutes we have played since I took over,” Gunnarsdóttir said. “I take full responsibility. I had my team train a full week on specific patterns in possession that I would like to see against Italy [their first game at Euro 2025], but in doing so I failed to prepare them for this friendly.”
The coach
Elísabet Gunnarsdóttir is enjoying her first months at the helm of a national team after a remarkable 14-year-spell in charge of the Swedish side Kristianstads. The 48-year-old Icelandic coach has lived so long in Sweden that she now considers it home: she is a fluent Swedish speaker and has gained citizenship.
She took a year out in 2024 to look after her mother, who had suffered a stroke, and decided to take the Belgium job after a long walk on the beach. Part of the reason? Her dog had run off and straight into the arms of a Belgian couple – as good a sign as any that she should take the job. Gunnarsdóttir is a tactically impressive coach who puts a lot of emphasis on set pieces.
Star player
Few countries will have such a standout player as Belgium. The 32-year-old Inter striker Tessa Wullaert is the country’s record scorer, having found the net 92 times and is not slowing down: recently scoring against Spain, England (twice) and Portugal (twice). She normally has two defenders marking her but if she feels she is not getting involved enough she will drop deeper into midfield and start play from there. Any team that can keep her out of the game will either draw or beat Belgium.
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One to watch
The forward Mariam Toloba is 25 but has just had her big breakthrough with Standard Liège, being voted player of the year in the Belgian Lotto Super League. “A couple of years back, I wouldn’t have thought this would be possible,” she said recently. “But I turned a page and started believing more and more in my own abilities.”
She grew up playing football in the street and is an excellent dribbler, especially in confined spaces, and has a powerful shot. She is joining Nantes this summer and may start the tournament on the bench, but keep an eye out for her when she comes on.
Probable lineup
Status of domestic top flight
The Lotto Super League is not near the level of neighbouring countries. Attendances are low and, as an example, ballgirls or boys are often not present at games so the players have to go and get the ball themselves. Last season, the Belgian top flight had 27 full-time professionals and is 21st in the Uefa coefficient ranking. Only six of the 23 players selected for the Euros play at home.
Realistic aim in Switzerland
Reaching the knockout phase. Spain should be out of reach but the Red Flames have beaten their other group opponents, Italy and Portugal, in the past few years.
The Belgium team guide was written by Wim Conings for Het Nieuwsblad.
