Belgium Name Squad for Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein Qualifiers

Belgium call up Ngoy and Vermant for World Cup Qualifiers

Belgium name Nathan Ngoy and Romeo Vermant in squad for World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein.

“As everyone knows, there are quite a few injured players in the squad...” 

Belgium has named uncapped defender Nathan Ngoy and forward Romeo Vermant in their squad for the first time, as they look to secure World Cup qualification in their final Group J fixtures against Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein.

The pair have been called up due to injuries in coach Rudi Garcia's side, who currently lead the group with a one-point advantage over second-placed North Macedonia, with a game in hand. A win against Kazakhstan in Astana on Saturday would secure Belgium's qualification for next year's World Cup in North America, with the group winners qualifying directly and the runners-up entering the playoffs.

“As everyone knows, there are quite a few injured players in the squad,” Garcia told a press conference on Friday as he named the squad, “but Vermant and Ngoy have both proven at their clubs that they are worthy of selection.”

“Romeo brings a breath of fresh air, enthusiasm, and fighting spirit. Ngoy, in turn, has been a regular at Lille for some time. Both still have a lot to prove, but they can eventually become permanent fixtures,” the coach added.

Belgium is missing some key players, including Kevin De Bruyne, Zeno Debast, Malick Fofana, and record goalscorer Romelu Lukaku. On the other hand, they've got some exciting young talent, like 21-year-old Vermant, who's been starting for Club Brugge in the domestic league and Champions League. And then there's 22-year-old Ngoy, who's had a successful transition to France's Ligue 1 with Lille, after playing for Standard Liege last season.

Captain Youri Tielemans is back in the Belgium squad after recovering from an injury, having made a comeback for Aston Villa on Thursday as a substitute in the Europa League. He took over as Belgium captain in September but missed last month's crucial qualifiers against North Macedonia and Wales due to injury.

Kevin De Bruyne, who temporarily took over the captaincy, is now injured and unavailable, having undergone hamstring surgery. Belgium will face Kazakhstan on Saturday, followed by a home match against Liechtenstein in Liege on Tuesday, wrapping up their campaign.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Manchester United), Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest), Maarten Vandevoort (RB Leipzig)

Defenders: Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton & Hove Albion), Koni De Winter (AC Milan), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Diego Moreira (Racing Strasbourg), Nathan Ngoy (Lille), Joaquin Seys (Club Brugge), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Midfielders: Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Charles Vanhoutte (Nice), Axel Witsel (Girona)

Forwards: Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Dodi Lukebakio (Benfica), Lois Openda (RB Leipzig), Alexis Saelemaekers (AC Milan), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal), Romeo Vermant (Club Brugge)

26 Devils on a mission to qualify for the World Cup! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZyxbMRw124

— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) November 7, 2025