Foreign press reports revealed the reasons behind the Belgian Football Association's dismissal of Rudi Garcia, the head coach of the first team, after the team's participation in the 2026 World Cup.
Belgian media outlets pointed to a divergence of views between Rudi Garcia and a number of national team players, as well as with Vincent Mannaert, the technical director of the Belgian Football Association, which led to his dismissal from his position.
The reports clarified that Mannaert was not satisfied with his country's team's performance during the group stage of the World Cup, especially in the two matches against Egypt and Iran, where they drew the first 1-1 and the second 0-0.
The Belgian newspaper Le Soir stated that the decision not to extend Garcia's contract required 9 days of official consideration, but unofficially, Mannaert had made his decision long before the announcement.
The newspaper concluded: "Some of Mannaert's associates outside the Belgian Football Association believed, even before the start of the World Cup, that the decision was settled, while others inside the association believe that his thinking stopped completely after the team earned only two points out of six against Egypt and then Iran."
Nevertheless, the decision not to extend the contract of the French coach Rudi Garcia caused astonishment among many fans, who expressed their stance clearly on various social media platforms.
Belgium's national team exited the 2026 World Cup in the quarter-finals after a 2-1 defeat to Spain, having previously defeated Senegal and the United States in the round of 32 and round of 16.
