Belgium vs Canada Preview

World number two Belgium will begin their 2022 FIFA World Cup this Wednesday as they take on Canada at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan.

The Belgian Red Devils come into this tournament with so much expectation after years of mediocrity. For a team that boasts one of the biggest pool of footballing talent in the world, the aptly named Golden Generation Belgium have underachieved.

They are fast running out of time to claim international glory together so they’ll hope to get things running in this tournament and avoid defeat following Friday’s 2-1 friendly loss to Egypt.

Roberto Martinez’s men finished third in the 2018 World Cup but judging by their underwhelming UEFA Nations League campaign (W3, D1, L2), they do not appear prepared to go the distance in Qatar.

But, after going unbeaten in their World Cup qualifiers (W6, D2), they cannot be entirely written off even though they have kept just two clean sheets in their last 13 competitive games.

Meanwhile, Canada’s Golden Generation will be looking to make the most of their opportunity after becoming the first group of players to represent Canada in the World Cup finals since 1986.

John Herdman’s side arrives in Qatar with no pressure having already secured their place in the history books by making it to Qatar.

They topped their CONCACAF final qualification group ahead of Mexico and USA (W8, D4, L2) and deserve to be taken seriously. They will also be looking to put down a marker ahead of their country co-hosting the tournament in 2026.