Sports Mole previews Tuesday’s World Cup Qualifying – Europe clash between Belgium and Liechtenstein, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Assuming Belgium can avoid potentially the most disastrous result in their history, the Red Devils will qualify for the World Cup 2026 tournament on Tuesday night, when they host Liechtenstein in Liege.
Rudi Garcia‘s men hold a two-point lead at the summit of Group J, while their lowly visitors risk ending the cycle with a 100% losing record.
Match preview
They may have taken the scenic route to North America, but Belgium are now within touching distance of an automatic ticket to next year’s global gathering, thanks to a second-half reprieve from one of their veterans on Saturday evening.
Garcia’s side were briefly on course for a shock loss in Kazakhstan when Dastan Satpaev opened the scoring after nine minutes, but Hans Vanaken responded soon after the restart to maintain Belgium’s unbeaten record in the section.
Earning four wins and three draws from their seven matches in Group J, Belgium are two points clear of Wales and North Macedonia – who face each other on Tuesday – in first place, and the Red Devils also boast a superior goal difference to their closest rivals.
As a result, a draw would almost certainly be enough for Garcia’s men to reach the World Cup without the need for a playoff, but anything other than an emphatic win against perpetual losers Liechtenstein would be seen as an extraordinary failure.
The hosts’ most recent result on home soil was a forgettable one – a goalless stalemate with North Macedonia on October 10 – but they had scored a total of 13 goals in their previous three World Cup qualifiers on their own territory, painful reading for Tuesday’s unfancied foes.
Tipped to finish bottom of the section when the draw was originally made, Liechtenstein – the fourth-smallest country in Europe with a little over 40,000 inhabitants – unsurprisingly had their World Cup fate sealed some time ago.
Ranked 206th on the planet by FIFA – the second lowest-ranked European country above San Marino – Liechtenstein’s record after seven games in Group J reads seven losses, zero goals scored and 24 conceded, the most recent of which came against Wales on Saturday night.
To the visitors’ credit, they held out for an hour against the Dragons before Jordan James lashed in the only goal of the contest, and their defensive record is still better than that of San Marino and Moldova, if that is any consolation.
However, Konrad Funfstuck‘s side are the only UEFA nation without a goal of their own in World Cup Qualifying, and it has been over a year since they last avoided defeat in any tournament, losing 11 in a row since a goalless draw with Gibraltar in October 2024.
Liechtenstein were inevitably put to the sword in September’s inaugural meeting with the Belgians too, falling to a 6-0 home loss in which Youri Tielemans (2), Kevin De Bruyne, Malick Fofana, Maxim De Cuyper and Arthur Theate all helped themselves to goals.
Belgium World Cup Qualifying – Europe form:
Liechtenstein World Cup Qualifying – Europe form:
Liechtenstein form (all competitions):
Team News
Belgium boss Garcia will be boosted by the return of Thomas Meunier from suspension on Tuesday, but Fulham’s Timothy Castagne should be retained at right-back, having set up a goal in each of his last two national team appearances.
The Red Devils lost legendary goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to injury before the draw with Kazakhstan, but they are otherwise in good shape ahead of Tuesday, when Matz Sels should again get the nod over Manchester United’s Senne Lammens in between the posts.
Still regaining fitness after a calf injury, Tielemans was only a second-half substitute in the weekend’s fixture, and the Aston Villa man should be kept in reserve against Liechtenstein too.
Speaking of the visitors, they will also welcome a defender back from a ban in the shape of 28-year-old Jens Hofer, who plays his club football in Switzerland with Dudingen.
Hofer’s return is timely, as fellow left-back Emanuel Zund was taken off with an injury against Wales, as was striker Fabio Luque-Notaro; Willy Pizzi is the only like-for-like replacement Liechtenstein have for the latter.
Elsewhere, captain Nicolas Hasler is in line to win his 109th cap for the national team on Tuesday – his tally of seven international goals also makes him the third-highest male scorer in Liechtenstein’s history.
Belgium possible starting lineup:
Sels; Castagne, De Winter, Theate, De Cuyper; Onana, Raskin; Lukebakio, Vanaken, Doku; Openda
Liechtenstein possible starting lineup:
Buchel; Meier, Malin, Goppel; N. Hasler, Sele, Luchinger, A. Hasler, Hofer; Pizzi, Salanovic
We say: Belgium 4-0 Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein’s rearguard resilience against Wales was admirable, but the Dragons’ poor finishing was as much to blame for the 1-0 scoreline, and Belgium should not run into similar issues with their ruthlessness.
It should only be a matter of how many the Red Devils score en route to a comfortable victory, and more importantly, a guaranteed spot at the World Cup.
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