Fear for our Red Devils! Will Belgium make it to the 2026 World Cup?

We didn’t see this coming — not even on your favourite Belgian betting site, Golden Vegas Sport. For this first-ever 2026 World Cup with 48 teams, everyone thought qualifying would be a mere formality for our country.

But as you’ve followed through our blog, these qualifiers have been anything but easy. With three games to go, the idea of our Red Devils missing out on the 23rd edition of the World Cup no longer seems unthinkable.

This Monday in Cardiff, against Wales, Rudi Garcia’s men have no room for error. They simply can’t afford to lose — or risk saying goodbye to first place and facing an uncertain playoff path.

A draw could be enough

How did we even get here, in this wave of unexpected panic? Quite simply, because of two poor performances against North Macedonia. On Friday in Ghent, Openda and his teammates couldn’t do better than in Skopje.

Despite total domination. “Our performance was good. We did everything to win, but lacked precision in front of goal. We had 25 shots, but only 20% were on target — that’s not enough. Jokingly, I said we could have played without a goalkeeper, that’s how much we dominated,” said the coach.

But there’s nothing funny about it. Belgium now sits second in its group, with one game less than North Macedonia, who lead by a single point. Wales have played the same number of games as our national team.

Our Euro 2016 nemesis trails by just one point — a defeat tonight would be catastrophic, but a draw might be enough thanks to our superior goal difference.

“We’ll go there to win. The content is good, and that shouldn’t be forgotten. The Welsh will try to impose a physical battle, but we need to highlight our technical control. We’re also getting Charles (De Ketelaere) back, and that’s good news,” reassured Garcia.

According to the bookmakers, our Red Devils remain slight favourites, and a win could multiply your stake by 1.78. Still, don’t hesitate to bet live tonight to take advantage of even more attractive odds.

*Odds are subject to change. End of event: October 13 at 20:45.

Without Lukaku, who will score?

If our Belgians want to overcome the Welsh challenge, they’ll need a goalscorer — because Lukaku is still out. Not having “Big Rom”, the greatest striker in our football history, isn’t a problem against Liechtenstein.

Against stronger opponents, however, it is — as shown by those 25 missed shots on Friday. The issue has sparked plenty of debate among fans this weekend: why didn’t Garcia bring on Batshuayi?

“We had discussed the possibility of bringing Michy on at half-time. But North Macedonia changed their system in the second half, leaving more space. That suited Loïs (Openda) better — he even created a great chance with a typical run. Unfortunately, he couldn’t finish. Without that tactical switch, Michy would have come on,” justified the coach.

He doubled down in Sunday’s press conference, turning his aim toward the media: “Some of you make me laugh. When a player is selected, you say he shouldn’t be there — and that same player, according to you, should have come on.”

So, who will make the difference early this week? Batshuayi to prove the fans right? Openda to silence the critics? Or maybe De Ketelaere or De Bruyne to step up as national heroes? Bet on the Red Devils’ goalscorer — also available in our physical outlets.

*Odds are subject to change. End of event: October 13 at 20:45.

The Red Devils remain favourites

Still, one can’t help but wonder — are we just scaring ourselves? On our site, Belgium remains a strong favourite to win Group J, with odds at 1.35, while Wales stand at 5.00 and North Macedonia at 5.50.

Whether you’re betting on GoldenVegas Sport or in Wales, remember to play responsibly. The threat of a disaster hasn’t been ruled out entirely — and the players know it.

Should we be worried? “We actually played a good match — up to 10 or 15 metres from the goal. The ball just wouldn’t go in. Of course we’ll be under pressure in this match in Wales, but we would’ve been even if we had won,” said Thibaut Courtois calmly.

The keeper expects an explosive start: “I expect a furious opening from the Welsh, who need to win. We must not panic, we need to survive that storm and then play our football, trying to find the spaces behind them.”

Will that be enough to win, take first place, and make a huge step toward the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with just 180 minutes left in the qualifiers? We’ll find out around 22:30 tonight.

*Odds are subject to change. End of event: October 13 at 20:45.

Enjoy a BetXtra when betting live on Wales – Belgium and on all 2026 World Cup qualifiers, plus a 50% BetXtra on a 4-leg combo during the World Cup qualification.