Belgium are on the brink of securing their spot at the next year's World Cup in North America, with their final qualifying match taking place tonight in Liège.
The Red Devils, who are currently top of their qualifying group with 15 points, are assured of going directly through if they see off Liechtenstein at the Stade Maurice-Dufrasne.
In the unlikely event that Rudi Garcia's men fail to beat the minnows, a draw should also be enough to seal top spot given their goal-difference advantage over Wales and North Macedonia, who are both on 13 points. Should Liechtenstein win their first competitive match since beating San Marino in 2020, only a draw in the match between second and third will keep Belgium top of the group.
Held by Kazakhstan
The Red Devils, who have qualified for the last three World Cups, had the chance to seal their spot at next year's tournament on Saturday against Kazakhstan, but were held to a 1-1 draw in Astana. While the 2018 World Cup semi-finalists are unbeaten during their qualifying campaign, they also dropped points twice to North Macedonia.
Manchester City winger Jérémy Doku was particularly vocal about his frustration with the result in Kazakhstan. In a post-match interview with broadcaster RTBF he said: "It was the same thing against North Macedonia. Our opponents don't have many chances, but they manage to score. If we want to go to the World Cup, we have to score goals. We need to improve in that area."
Belgium are without several of their star players due to injury. Team captain Kevin De Bruyne is out until the start of next year due to a hamstring tear, while all-time top scorer Romelu Lukaku remains sidelined due to a thigh injury.
Qualifying directly for the World Cup will also ensure that the Red Devils are in Pot 1 for the World Cup group stage draw. This would allow the team to avoid facing the hosts (Canada, United States, Mexico), as well as tournament favourites such as France and Argentina, before the knockout stages.
The 48 teams who qualify will be split into 12 groups of four, with the top two in each group and the eight best third-placed finishers advancing to the last 32.
