Belgium national under-21 football team
| Nickname(s) | Jonge duivels (Young demons)
Jeunes diables (Little devils) Junge Teufels (Young Devils) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Royal Belgian Football Association | ||
| Head coach | Gill Swerts | ||
| Captain | Aster Vranckx | ||
| Most caps | Jean-François Gillet (36) | ||
| Top scorer | Loïs Openda (13) | ||
| Home stadium | Den Dreef | ||
| |||
| First international | |||
| France 1–1 Belgium (Amiens, France; 3 September 1976) | |||
| Biggest win | |||
| Belgium 8–0 Luxembourg (Mechelen, Belgium; 3 June 2007) | |||
| Biggest defeat | |||
| Czech Republic 7–0 Belgium (Prague, Czech Republic; 24 April 2001) | |||
| UEFA U-21 Championship | |||
| Appearances | 4 (first in 2002) | ||
| Best result | Semi-finals (2007) | ||
The Belgium national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Belgium and is controlled by the Belgian Football Association. The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship, held every two years. Their biggest successes were winning the 2007–09 International Challenge Trophy and reaching the European Championship semi-finals in 2007 in the Netherlands. Thanks to the latter achievement, Belgium qualified for the football tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Their current home stadium is Den Dreef in Leuven.
UEFA U-21 Championship Record
| Year | Round | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1980 | |||||||
| 1982 | |||||||
| 1984 | |||||||
| 1986 | |||||||
| 1988 | |||||||
| 1990 | |||||||
| 1992 | |||||||
| 1994 | |||||||
| 1996 | |||||||
| 1998 | |||||||
| 2000 | |||||||
| 2002 | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 2004 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2006 | |||||||
| 2007 | Semi-finals | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 2009 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2011 | |||||||
| 2013 | |||||||
| 2015 | |||||||
| 2017 | |||||||
| 2019 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 8 |
| 2021 | Did not qualify | ||||||
| 2023 | Group stage | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| 2025 | Did not qualify | ||||||
Results and fixtures
Belgium are currently competing for qualification to the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. The table below shows their current standing in the qualification group.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 5 | +18 | 26 | Final tournament | — | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 3–2 | 2–1 | ||
| 2 | Sweden | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 8 | +11 | 20 | 0–3 | — | 0–1 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 3–0 | ||
| 3 | Turkey | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 14 | 10 | +4 | 17 | 1–2 | 0–3 | — | 0–0 | 4–0 | 4–2 | ||
| 4 | Hungary | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 14 | −2 | 11 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 1–2 | — | 4–0 | 2–1 | ||
| 5 | Cyprus | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 23 | −15 | 7 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | — | 2–1 | ||
| 6 | Malta | 10 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 24 | −16 | 4 | 0–4 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | — |
Source: UEFA
Results
| 27 March 2017 | 2–1 | Malta | Heverlee, Belgium | |
| 20:00 CET | R. Mmaee 43' Cools 54' |
Report | 69' Grech | Stadium: Den Dreef Referee: Rob Harvey (Republic of Ireland) |
| 5 September 2017 | 0–0 | Turkey | Heverlee, Belgium | |
| 20:00 CET | Report | Stadium: Den Dreef Referee: Fabio Verissimo (Italy) |
| 6 October 2017 | 1–1 | Sweden | Heverlee, Belgium | |
| 19:00 CET | Vanlerberghe 30' | Report | 61' Dagerstål | Stadium: Den Dreef Referee: Nikola Dabanović (Montenegro) |
| 10 October 2017 | Cyprus | 0–2 | Larnaca, Cyprus | |
| 16:00 CET | Report | 51' Lukebakio 90+3' Bastien |
Stadium: AEK Arena - Georgios Karapatakis Referee: Kirill Levnikov (Russia) |
| 9 November 2017 | 3–2 | Cyprus | Heverlee, Belgium | |
| 19:00 CET | Mbenza 15' Dimata 45+2' Leya Iseka 90+2' |
Report | 49' Papageorgiou 75' Fragkou |
Stadium: Den Dreef Referee: Enea Jorgji (Albania) |
| 14 November 2017 | Turkey | 1–2 | Istanbul, Turkey | |
| 15:00 CET | Okutan 5' | Report | Merih Demiral 45+2' (o.g.) Schrijvers 87' |
Stadium: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium Referee: Tomasz Musiał (Poland) |
| 26 March 2018 | 3–0 | Hungary | Heverlee, Belgium | |
| 19:00 CET | Schrijvers 19' Lukebakio 64' Dimata 72' (pen.) |
Report | Stadium: Den Dreef Referee: Erez Papir (Israel) |
| 7 September 2018 | Malta | 0–4 | Ta'Qali, Malta | |
| 16:00 CET | Report | Dimata 11' Schrijvers 18' Lukebakio 59' Leya Iseka 69' |
Stadium: National Stadium Referee: Roomer Tarajev (Estonia) |
| 11 September 2018 | Hungary | 0–3 | Budapest, Hungary | |
| 17:00 CET | Report | Dimata 20', 73' (pen.) Schrijvers 86' |
Stadium: Szusza Ferenc Stadion Referee: Tiago Martins (Portugal) |
| 16 October 2018 | Sweden | 0–3 | Kalmar, Sweden | |
| 17:00 CET | Report | Dimata 29', 40' Lukebakio 65' |
Stadium: Fredriksskans Referee: Frank Schneider (France) |
| 15 November 2018 | Romania | 3–3 | Cluj-Napoca, Romania | |
| 18:00 CET | Drăguș 45' (pen.) Olaru 90' Ciobanu 90+1' |
Report | Cools 35' Leya 56' Mbenza 58' |
Stadium: Dr. Constantin Rădulescu Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Iulian Călin (Romania) |
| 16 June 2019 | Poland | 3–2 | Reggio Emilia, Italy | |
| 18:30 | Żurkowski 26' Bielik 52' Szymański 79' |
Report | Leya Iseka 16' Cools 84' |
Stadium: Mapei Stadium–Città del Tricolore Attendance: 2,534 Referee: István Kovács (Romania) |
| 19 June 2019 | Spain | 2–1 | Reggio Emilia, Italy | |
| 18:30 | Olmo 7' Fornals 89' |
Report | Bornauw 24' | Stadium: Mapei Stadium–Città del Tricolore Attendance: 2,738 Referee: Andris Treimanis (Latvia) |
| 22 June 2019 | 1–3 | Italy | Reggio Emilia, Italy | |
| 21:00 | Verschaeren 79' Mbenza 90+3' |
Report | Barella 44' Cutrone 53' Chiesa 89' |
Stadium: Mapei Stadium–Città del Tricolore Attendance: 20,075 Referee: Srđan Jovanović (Serbia) |
Current squad
The following players were called up for the friendly matches against Andorra and Sweden on 20 and 23 March 2025 respectively.[1]
Caps and goals correct as of 20 March 2025, against Sweden. Names in bold denote players who have been capped for the senior team.
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Matthieu Epolo | 15 January 2005 | 1 | 0 | Standard Liège |
| 12 | GK | Kjell Peersman | 21 May 2004 | 0 | 0 | Lierse |
| 2 | DF | Semm Renders | 17 December 2007 | 1 | 0 | Antwerp |
| 3 | DF | Lucas Noubi | 15 January 2005 | 1 | 0 | Standard Liège |
| 4 | DF | Jorne Spileers | 21 January 2005 | 13 | 0 | Club Brugge |
| 5 | DF | Bram Lagae | 14 January 2004 | 1 | 0 | Kortrijk |
| 13 | DF | Amando Lapage | 8 November 2004 | 1 | 0 | Westerlo |
| 15 | DF | Vincent Burlet | 23 September 2005 | 1 | 0 | Le Mans |
| 22 | DF | Nolan Martens | 7 July 2004 | 1 | 0 | Excelsior |
| 6 | MF | Arthur Vermeeren | 7 February 2005 | 4 | 0 | RB Leipzig |
| 8 | MF | Mathias Delorge | 31 July 2004 | 6 | 0 | Gent |
| 14 | MF | Arthur Piedfort | 1 February 2005 | 0 | 0 | Westerlo |
| 16 | MF | Kamiel Van De Perre | 12 February 2004 | 0 | 0 | Union SG |
| 18 | MF | Mathis Servais | 23 November 2004 | 1 | 0 | Beveren |
| 20 | MF | Stanis Idumbo Muzambo | 29 June 2005 | 2 | 1 | Sevilla |
| 23 | MF | Joseph Nonge | 15 May 2005 | 1 | 0 | Servette |
| 7 | FW | Julien Duranville | 5 May 2006 | 2 | 0 | Borussia Dortmund |
| 9 | FW | Romeo Vermant | 24 January 2004 | 7 | 1 | Club Brugge |
| 10 | FW | Samuel Mbangula | 16 January 2004 | 7 | 0 | Juventus |
| 11 | FW | Noah Adedeji-Sternberg | 19 June 2005 | 1 | 0 | Genk |
| 17 | FW | Benjamin Pauwels | 29 October 2004 | 1 | 1 | Cambuur |
| 19 | FW | Norman Bassette | 9 November 2004 | 3 | 0 | Coventry City |
Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up and remain eligible.
| Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Matt Lendfers | 10 March 2006 | 1 | 0 | Sint-Truiden | v. Kazakhstan, 10 September 2024 |
| GK | Mike Penders | 15 January 2005 | 0 | 0 | Genk | v. Kazakhstan, 10 September 2024 |
| DF | Matteo Dams | 9 March 2004 | 2 | 0 | PSV Eindhoven | v. Czech Republic, 19 November 2024 |
| DF | Richie Sagrado | 30 January 2004 | 1 | 0 | Venezia | v. Czech Republic, 19 November 2024 |
| DF | Jorthy Mokio | 29 February 2008 | 1 | 1 | Ajax | v. Kazakhstan, 10 September 2024 |
| DF | Matte Smets | 4 January 2004 | 2 | 1 | Genk | v. Kazakhstan, 10 September 2024 |
| MF | Mario Stroeykens | 29 September 2004 | 12 | 0 | Anderlecht | v. Czech Republic, 19 November 2024 |
| MF | Konstantinos Karetsas | 19 November 2007 | 2 | 0 | Genk | v. Czech Republic, 19 November 2024 |
| MF | Chris Lokesa | 7 November 2004 | 1 | 0 | RKC Waalwijk | v. Kazakhstan, 10 September 2024 |
| MF | Pierre Dwomoh | 21 June 2004 | 1 | 1 | Watford | v. Morocco, 4 June 2024 |
| MF | Noah Mbamba | 5 January 2005 | 1 | 0 | Bayer Leverkusen | v. Spain, 26 March 2024 |
| MF | Roméo Lavia | 6 January 2004 | 1 | 0 | Chelsea | v. Czech Republic, 23 March 2023 |
| FW | Lucas Stassin | 29 November 2004 | 9 | 2 | Saint-Étienne | v. Czech Republic, 19 November 2024 |
| FW | Mika Godts | 7 June 2005 | 0 | 0 | Ajax | v. Scotland, 11 October 2024 |
| FW | Malick Fofana | 31 March 2005 | 9 | 0 | Lyon | v. Kazakhstan, 10 September 2024 |
Statistics
Most capped players
Highlighted names denote a player still playing or available for selection.
| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jean-François Gillet | 1996–2002 | 36 | 0 |
| 2 | Thomas Chatelle | 1999–2003 | 28 | 4 |
| Maarten Martens | 2003–2007 | 28 | 7 | |
| 4 | Faris Haroun | 2004–2008 | 24 | 4 |
| Hugo Siquet | 2021–2024 | 24 | 0 | |
| 6 | Siebe Schrijvers | 2016–2019 | 23 | 4 |
| 7 | Tom De Mul | 2004–2008 | 21 | 4 |
| Wout Faes | 2017–2020 | 21 | 0 | |
| Gunter Van Handenhoven | 1997–1999 | 21 | 1 | |
| 10 | Jonathan Blondel | 2002–2007 | 20 | 4 |
| Éric Deflandre | 1992–1995 | 20 | 1 |
Last updated: 22 June 2019
Source: Belgian Football Federation
Top goalscorers
Highlighted names denote a player still playing or available for selection.
| # | Player | Career | Goals | Caps | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loïs Openda | 2019–2023 | 13 | 18 | 0.72 |
| 2 | Kevin Vandenbergh | 2003–2005 | 12 | 14 | 0.86 |
| 3 | Cédric Roussel | 1997–1999 | 10 | 12 | 0.83 |
| 4 | Wesley Sonck | 1997–1999 | 8 | 11 | 0.73 |
| 5 | Michy Batshuayi | 2012–2014 | 7 | 13 | 0.54 |
| Landry Dimata | 2016–2018 | 7 | 12 | 0.58 | |
| Maarten Martens | 2003–2007 | 7 | 28 | 0.25 | |
| Ronny Martens | 1978–1984 | 7 | 14 | 0.5 | |
| Sven Vermant | 1993–1995 | 7 | 8 | 0.88 | |
| Jeanvion Yulu-Matondo | 2005–2008 | 7 | 17 | 0.41 |
Last updated: 20 March 2019
Source: Belgian Football Federation
Honours
See also
- Belgium national football team
- Belgium national under-19 football team
- Belgium national under-17 football team
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship
References
- ^ "De selectie van onze U21 voor de oefenwedstrijden tegen Andorra en Zweden" (in Dutch). Koninklijke Belgische Voetbalbond. 14 March 2025. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
References and external links
- UEFA Under-21 website, complete results archive
- The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation, full record of U-21 and U-23 Championships