Appointed coach of Belgium last January, Rudi Garcia is facing his first real delicate situation at the head of his new team. If the French coach nevertheless displays an honorable record, with four victories, two draws and one defeat in seven matches, his adventure with the Red Devils could come to an end more quickly than expected.
It must be said that the meeting against North Macedonia last Friday (0-0) during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers does not speak in its favor. The Belgians appeared powerless against a surprising Macedonian team, currently first in Group J in the Europe zone (12 points) with a match in advance.
Second (11 points), Belgium still does not have its destiny in its hands. Direct qualification for North America is far from certain, with the threat of elimination embodied by an old enemy, Wales, third (10 points).
Defeat forbidden
The observation is simple. If Rudi Garcia wishes to stay in the race and take his selection to the next World Cup, a victory in the sixth match against the Welsh in Cardiff (this Monday, 8:45 p.m.) is almost obligatory to regain first place. The selection would also achieve this in the event of a draw, thanks to the goal difference with North Macedonia (+13 for Belgium, +9 for the Macedonians), but the gap with its opponents would be much smaller.
Disaster would therefore occur if there is defeat. The Red Devils would go down to third place in Group J, to the benefit of Wales who would regain the lead with thirteen points. Kevin de Bruyne's teammates would therefore be obliged to do what is necessary during the last two days of the qualifiers in November, in which case the second qualifying place via a jump-off would be strongly understood, as would the direct qualification promised to the leader of the ranking. Under contract until July 31, 2026, everything suggests that Rudi Garcia would not survive this potential poor performance.
