Mark van Bommel's Belgium Faces Tough Nations League Group with Italy, France, and Turkiye
Mark van Bommel’s first act as Belgium coach is not a gentle introduction. It’s a plunge straight into the deep end: a Nations League group with Italy, France and Turkiye, and a schedule that barely lets his players breathe.
He has responded with a squad that carries a clear message. Experience at the very top, a spine of familiar leaders, and a strong Italian flavour.
A Milan alumnus, back in Italy with the whistle
Belgium open their campaign – and the Van Bommel era – away to Italy on September 25. For the new coach, it’s a personal return. He wore the Milan shirt in 2011-12; now he walks back into Serie A territory in a suit, not a shirt, replacing Rudi Garcia at the helm this summer.
The calendar is unforgiving. Italy away on September 25. France at home three days later on September 28. Turkiye on October 2. A trip to France on October 5. Then the group closes with two potentially decisive fixtures: away to Turkiye on November 12 and at home to Italy on November 15.
Every match is a test. Every match has a storyline.
Six from Serie A – and a nod to Italy
Van Bommel has turned to a league he knows well. Six Serie A players make the cut, underlining how closely Belgium’s new boss has been watching Italy.
Milan defender Koni De Winter gets the call, joined by Bologna’s new signing Arthur Theate at the back. In midfield, Kevin De Bruyne – now at Napoli – will be the conductor, the player around whom so much of Belgium’s play will orbit.
Mandela Keita, building his reputation at Parma, earns a place in the engine room, while Atalanta forward Charles De Ketelaere returns to the international stage after a strong club campaign. On the flank, Milan winger Diego Moreira adds direct running and flair.
For a coach trying to impose his ideas quickly, leaning on players who live the tactical demands of Serie A every week makes sense. Italy will recognise many of these faces. That doesn’t make them any easier to stop.
Old guard, new chapter
This is not a revolution. It’s a recalibration.
Romelu Lukaku is still there, now at Fenerbahce but still the reference point up front, the man defenders hate to mark. Lois Openda, who only recently left Serie A and now leads the line for Lyon, brings pace and aggression to the forward line. These are not fringe figures; they are central to what Belgium want to be.
Leandro Trossard, listed with Bestikas, offers creativity and goals from wide areas, while Dodi Lukebakio (Benfica) and Malick Fofana (Sunderland) give Van Bommel options to stretch tired defences. Diego Moreira’s inclusion only deepens that pool of wide threats.
Behind them, Youri Tielemans (Manchester United) and Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge) add control and intelligence in midfield. Romeo Lavia (Chelsea) and Nicolas Raskin (Rangers) give the squad a more dynamic, combative edge in the centre of the pitch.
Balance across the pitch
In goal, Van Bommel has gone for a blend of promise and profile: Jari De Busser (AZ Alkmaar), Senne Lammens (Manchester United), Mike Penders (Chelsea) and Maarten Vandervoordt (RB Leipzig) compete for the gloves. None is a global superstar yet, but all operate at clubs where pressure is part of the job description.
Defensively, Timothy Castagne (Fulham) and Maxime De Cuyper (Brighton) bring Premier League sharpness, while Zeno Debast (Sporting), Brandon Mechele, Kyriani Sabbe and Joaquin Seys (all Club Brugge), plus Nathan Ngoy (LOSC), round out a back line that mixes domestic familiarity with European experience.
Up front, alongside Lukaku, Openda, De Ketelaere and Trossard, the likes of Matias Fernandez-Pardo (Newcastle United), Mika Godts (PSG) and Diego Moreira represent the next wave. They may not all start, but in a group where intensity will be relentless, depth could decide everything.
No time for a soft launch
There is no easing into this job. Van Bommel’s Belgium will be judged quickly: how they handle Italy’s organisation, France’s firepower, Turkiye’s intensity. The fixtures come in a rush; the margin for error is thin.
He has answered that reality with a squad that looks built for high-level problem-solving – technically gifted, tactically flexible, and laced with players used to the demands of Serie A and other top leagues.
The names are familiar. The challenge is not. Under a new coach, in a brutal group, Belgium are about to find out how fast a new era can truly begin.
