Rudi Garcia on the chopping block in Belgium after World Cup exit

Ibrahim bin Mohammed

Sunday, July 12, 2026 9:41 | 2 minutes read

Frenchman Rudi Garcia, the head coach of the Belgian national football team, faces a storm of doubts about his future with the 'Red Devils', following the team's bitter exit from the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, after a 2-1 defeat to their Spanish counterparts in the match held in Los Angeles, USA, according to the French newspaper 'Sud Ouest'.

Despite the French coach's success in leading Belgium back to the world elite and reaching the top eight, his current contract, which officially ends at the end of this July, is now threatened with non-renewal amid sharp divisions within Belgian sports and media circles.

A major crisis of confidence erupted in the sports community following what the Flemish press described as a 'catastrophic blunder', when Garcia in the 71st minute of the Spain match substituted veteran goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and brought in young Senne Lammens, who made a serious mistake handling a shot from Pau Cubarsí, which Mikel Merino took advantage of to score the fatal elimination goal in the 88th minute.

Prominent Flemish media figure Peter Vandenbempt of 'Sporza' television sharply criticized this decision, saying, 'To substitute the best goalkeeper in the world in a World Cup quarter-final under the pretext of his inability to clear long balls is unbelievable. Courtois wanted to stay, and he knows his value best.'

For his part, former international Marc Degryse questioned Garcia's tactical contribution, considering that the difficult qualification in the round of 16 against Senegal (3-2) after being two goals down was a 'miracle' that does not make Garcia a great coach.

On the other hand, Garcia has defenders of his short legacy; former national team head coach Marc Wilmots praised the Frenchman's work, saying: 'Rudi has succeeded in building a solid foundation that makes me optimistic about the future, and it is logical and advisable for him to continue his excellent work.'

Since his appointment in January 2025, Garcia has led the team in 20 matches, achieving an unbeaten streak of 18 consecutive matches before the loss to Spain, in addition to integrating young talents and securing the team's place in the top tier of the UEFA Nations League.

The final say on the fate of the former coach of Lille, Roma, Napoli, and Al-Nassr remains pending in the coming days, as he is expected to hold a crucial evaluation and negotiation session with Vincent Mannaert, the sporting director of the Belgian Football Association, to outline the next phase and determine whether he can continue to lead the Red Devils in preparations for Euro 2028 or not.

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