15 Greatest Belgian Players in Football History [Ranked]

Having recently completed a degree in Football Journalism at the University of Derby, Louis joined GMS in May 2024, having previously worked for VAVEL, Reach PLC and Nottingham Forest.

Primarily a Premier League writer, Louis has a knowledge and interest in clubs in and outside "the 92" that is as proud as it is mildly concerning, having first channeled this keen footballing interest into a hopeful career in sports writing in 2019.

His interests do not end in football, however, as Louis is a keen fan of pro wrestling, MMA, boxing, darts and Formula 1. Sign in to your GiveMeSport account For a sustained period, Belgium boasted one of the most talented squads on the planet. It was a golden generation that were consistently among the favourites to win any major tournament they showed up to but ultimately left every trip to the World Cup and European Championships empty-handed.

With much of the squad that finished third at the 2018 World Cup either retired or coming to the end of their careers, the peak of that particular cycle appears to have passed.

But the country's contribution to the game stretches further than one generation of players. The Belgian sides of the 1980s were no less formidable in their own right, reaching the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup and finishing as runners-up at Euro 1980.

Some incredible talents have pulled on the nation's shirt for the Red Devils, a lot of them coming over the span of the last decade or so. It begs the question: who are the greatest Belgian players of all time?

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema feature as the greatest Champions League players of all time are ranked in order.

Axel Witsel was the glue that held Belgium's midfield together for the best part of a decade. While many of the names on this list tended to grab the headlines ahead of him, Witsel quietly got on with the job, providing the balance that allowed his more attack-minded teammates to flourish.

His career saw him play for some of Europe's big boys, spending four years at Borussia Dortmund before a three-year stint at Atletico Madrid. He earned well over 100 international caps and was rarely the first name opposition fans feared, but he was almost always the first name on the team sheet.

After 33 combined goals and assists in a single Eredivise season, Dries Mertens moved to Italy and became a Napoli icon, and is their all-time leading scorer with 148 goals. No small feat at a club that once had Diego Maradona on its books.

At 5ft 7in, he was never the most imposing figure in an attacking line, but he more than made up for it with intelligent movement, technical brilliance and an impressive goal catalogue. He was equally important in a Belgium shirt, representing his country over 100 times, appearing at multiple World Cups and European Championships.

Michel Preud'homme is one of the finest goalkeepers Belgium has ever produced. Commanding in the box and blessed with sharp reflexes, he was a dominant presence for both Standard Liege and Mechelen, but a match-fixing scandal in the early 1980s cost him six months of his career.

After spending the early portion of his international career behind Jean-Marie Pfaff, Preud'homme would go on to be a regular starter for the next seven years. His crowning international moment came at the 1994 World Cup, where his performances were so impressive that he was given the tournament's Golden Glove award and voted as the world's best goalkeeper by The International Federation of Football History & Statistics that same year.

Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League - Stamford Bridge - 26/11/16 Tottenham's Mousa Dembele in action with Chelsea's N'Golo Kante Action Images via Reuters / Matthew Childs Livepic

Mousa Dembele rarely courted the spotlight, but those who played alongside him or against him knew exactly what they were dealing with. The midfielder possessed a rare combination of power, balance and technical ability that made him almost impossible to dispossess, and at his peak many regarded him as one of the most naturally gifted players in Europe.

His time in the Premier League with Fulham and Tottenham showcased those qualities, and he was a valued presence for Belgium across several major tournaments. He likely deserved more recognition than he got, but that's rather fitting for a player who never asked for it.

Long before Belgium's golden generation emerged, Jan Ceulemans was setting the standard for those who would follow. The powerful attacking midfielder earned more than 90 caps for his country, captained the side through one of their most successful periods and was central to the run that took them to the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup, knocking out the Soviet Union and Spain.

At club level, he near-enough spent his entire career at Club Brugge, winning multiple league titles and becoming one of the most celebrated Belgian players ever.

A four-time Ballon d'Or nominee, Enzo Scifo's lesser-known career was one of the kickstarters to the rich vein of talent seen emanating from Belgium ever since his prominence in the 1980s. Enjoying spells with the likes of Inter and AS Monaco across his 18-year career, it was home club RSC Anderlecht wherein he enjoyed the majority of his success.

Debuting for the team as a 17-year-old in 1983, Scifo made over 100 appearances for the side across his four-year spell, marking his name out as one of the hottest young players in Europe after helping the side to three straight league titles.

Further respectable spells with Inter, Monaco, Auxerre and Torino followed, with Scifo enjoying a decent goal record across his career. Having made his debut for Belgium aged just 18, he went on to make 84 appearances for his country, scoring 18 goals. An under-appreciated and lesser-known player with a remarkable career path and depth of talent.

The game of football has seen a wide variety of players over the years, but who have been the most skilful people to ever grace the beautiful game?

Having burst onto the scene as a 19-year-old for Dutch side Ajax, Toby Alderweireld might just be one of the most underrated centre-backs to have played the game. Having made over 100 showings for the Dutch giants, a debut for his country and subsequent move to Atlético Madrid followed for Alderweireld. After struggling to break into the Atleti first team, he was loaned to Premier League side Southampton, where his impressive season took him to Tottenham on a permanent deal.

Alderweireld would go on to become ever-present in the Spurs team, and although he may not have picked up any trophies in his time there, he played a big part alongside compatriot Jan Vertonghen in reaching the 2019 Champions League final, where they were defeated cruelly by Liverpool. Alderweireld and Vertonghen's partnership transcended club level, with the pair making well over 100 appearances each for the Red Devils in a golden age for Belgian centre-backs, with a certain Vincent Kompany in the offing as well.

The Belgian title race was absolutely crazy - and won in incredible circumstances by Alderweireld's strike