As club competitions draw to a close, Red Devils start World Cup preparation
Around 10 of the Belgian squad began their World Cup on Monday at the national training centre in Tubize. The first press conference is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, with the tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada due to kick off on 11 June.
While coach Rudi Garcia's World Cup squad consists of 26 players, only those whose season has already ended are expected to attend, along with those who have seen limited game time in recent weeks.
The remaining players will join the squad on 30 May, with the exception of Leandro Trossard. As part of the Arsenal squad, he will be playing the Champions League final against defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest that day.
On 1 June, the full squad will travel to Rijeka, where they face Croatia the following day. The farewell match against Tunisia takes place on 6 June at a sold-out King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels. The Belgians then depart for Seattle on 8 June.
No fourth goalkeeper
Of the 26 players called up, only three are goalkeepers. Garcia had initially hoped to bring Maarten Vandevoordt along as a training goalkeeper at the Seattle base camp, which would have been useful during finishing drills, but his club RB Leipzig was unwilling to release him for such an extended stay in the United States.
For the tournament itself, the Royal Belgian Football Association has reached an agreement with MLS club Seattle Sounders, who will make one of their goalkeepers available for training sessions if needed.
© BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM
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