FIFA World Cup 2022: Red Devils face Canada, Morocco and Croatia in group stage

Canada (FIFA 38), Morocco (FIFA 24) and vice-world champions Croatia (FIFA 16) are the opponents of the Red Devils (FIFA 2) in Group F for the World Cup at the end of this year in Qatar. 

The Belgians play their opening match against Canada on 23 November. Four days later, on 27 November, they will play Morocco in the second matchday. The group phase will end on 1 December with the clash against the Croats, a duel between the numbers two and three of the previous World Cup. It will also be the first time that both countries face each other at a major tournament. The schedule, including the starting times of the matches and the allocated stadiums, will be announced later.

With a place in one of the final groups, coach Roberto Martinez more or less got what he had hoped for before the draw. With this year's World Cup being played in the winter months, there is only one week of preparation instead of three. Thanks to their place in Group F, the Belgians will play their first match in Qatar two days later than the teams in Groups A and B, who start the tournament on November 21. Groups G and H will conclude the group stage on November 24.

The eventual second round promises to be particularly difficult. The best two from the Belgians' group will face the best two from Group E, with Spain and Germany as the strongest countries. Japan is the third country, while number four has not yet emerged from the intercontinental barrages. In the quarter-finals, a clash with Brazil or Portugal is again a possibility. In 2018, the Belgians went 1-2 past the Seleçao in the quarter-finals. Last year they were too strong for the Portuguese, in the eighth finals of the European Championship.

For the Red Devils, the World Cup in Qatar will be the third in a row, after the World Cups of 2014 and 2018. This is not a record, as the Belgians were there six times in a row between 1982 and 2002. Including the qualifiers for the European Championships in 2016 and 2020, it is already the fifth major tournament in a row for this Golden Generation, which is approaching its final spurt. Third place at the World Cup in Russia four years ago was our country's best result ever. At the 2016 and 2020 European Championships and the 2014 World Cup, the quarter-finals were always the final destination.

© BELGA PHOTO BRUNO FAHY: Belgium's players celebrate after winning a friendly soccer match between Belgian national team the Red Devils and Burkina Faso, Tuesday 29 March 2022 in Anderlecht, Brussels.