Belgium are moving on from Rudi Garcia. The football association confirmed Monday they will not extend the 62-year-old's contract, which expires at the end of July.
Garcia's tenure ended with a World Cup quarter-final defeat to Spain — the eventual winners — which softens the blow slightly but doesn't mask the reality: Belgium's golden generation is fading, and a largely unconvincing tournament was the final verdict on his 18-month stint.
Polite farewell, uncertain future
Sports director Vincent Mannaert kept the send-off respectful. "Rudi Garcia has unquestionably played a key role in restoring the Belgian Red Devils," he said, crediting Garcia with rebuilding team cohesion in what he described as a "challenging sporting and financial context."
That framing tells you something. Garcia wasn't brought in to win a World Cup — he was brought in to stabilise a dressing room that had reportedly fractured. He did that. Whether he was ever the right person to take Belgium further is a different question, and the association has quietly answered it.
Mannaert confirmed the search for a new coach is already underway, describing it as part of "a new cycle" for the Red Devils.
What comes next for Belgium
Belgium's trajectory matters beyond sentiment. De Bruyne, Lukaku, Courtois — the core of that squad is ageing, and whoever takes the job inherits a transitional side rather than a contender. The odds on Belgium challenging deep in the next major tournament will depend heavily on how quickly a new coach can identify and integrate the next generation.
For now, the association is searching. Garcia is out. And Belgium's next chapter is unwritten — by a coach who hasn't been named yet.
