As of March 2016, the Belgium national team has been led by at least 89 different captains; 86 different players started an international game as captain, but due to substitutions the total number is higher. At least 15 pure forwards and eight goalkeepers have fulfilled this role but most often Red Devils in defensive positions and midfielders were assigned as captain, as is usually the case in association football. Until 2011 under Dick Advocaat and Georges Leekens the former Belgium U-23 captain Thomas Vermaelen was chosen as national squad's leader, but during an injury period he left the captaincy to Vincent Kompany, who became the new permanent captain. After several periods of injuries and missing out UEFA Euro 2016, Kompany gradually lost his position as captain to Eden Hazard by 2017. Following Hazard's retirement from international duty in 2022, Kevin De Bruyne was appointed as captain. On September 2025 Tielemans become the new permanent captain. Tielemans is the ideal bridge between the fading "Golden Generation" and Belgium's highly promising youth movement.
All-time captain list
The following table shows which Belgian footballers started international games as captain, and during which period. Players that received the captain's armband because of a substitution or expulsion during a match are not counted.
Last updated: Brazil vs. Belgium, 6 July 2018. Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.
+ List of captains of the Belgium national football team # Name Period Position TimesActive1 Camille Van Hoorden 1904–11 MF 122 Ernest Moreau de Melen 1905 DF 13 Edgard Poelmans 1906–11 DF 44 René Feye 1907 MF 15 Charles Cambier 1907–10 MF 66 Max Tobias 1908 MF 17 Marcel Feye 1910 GK 48 Émile Andrieu 1912 DF 59 Oscar Bossaert 1912–13 DF 710 Gaston Hubin 1913 DF 111 Henri Leroy 1914 GK 112 Joseph Thys 1914 MF 113 Armand Swartenbroeks 1914–28 DF 3714 Jules Suetens 1914 MF 115 Georgy Hebdin 1919–20 FW 316 Fernand Nisot 1920 FW 117 Émile Hanse 1920–22 MF 418 Joseph Musch 1921 DF/MF 319 Oscar Verbeeck 1924 DF 120 Florimond Vanhalme 1926–30 MF 1421 Pierre Braine 1928–30 MF 922 Nic Hoydonckx 1930–33 DF 1323 Jacques Moeschal 1931 MF/FW 224 Gust Hellemans 1932–34 CH 525 Jules Lavigne 1932 DF 326 Jules Pappaert 1934 DF 327 Félix Welkenhuysen 1934 DF 128 Philly Smellinckx 1935–38 DF 1329 Émile Stijnen 1936–39 MF 1830 Ray Braine 1938 FW 131 Bob Paverick 1939–46 DF 932 John Van Alphen 1944 DF/MF 133 Nand Buyle 1945 FW 134 Bert De Cleyn 1947 FW 535 Marcel Vercammen 1947 MF 136 Jules Henriet 1948–49 DF/MF 837 François Daenen 1948–53 GK 338 Freddy Chaves 1949–51 MF/FW 1139 Jef Mermans 1949–56 FW 3040 Henri Meert 1952–55 GK 441 Victor Lemberechts 1953 FW 142 Pol Anoul 1953 FW 243 Louis Carré 1955–58 DF 544 Vic Mees 1956–60 MF 1645 Marcel Dries 1958 DF 246 Denis Houf 1958–61 FW 347 Rik Coppens 1959 FW 448 Henri Diricx1960 DF 249 Martin Lippens 1960–63 MF 350 Jef Jurion 1960–67 MF 3951 Paul Van Himst 1964–74 FW 3852 Jean Nicolay 1965 GK 153 Pierre Hanon 1966–68 DF/MF 654 Georges Heylens 1968–70 DF 455 Léon Semmeling 1970 FW 156 Wilfried Van Moer 1975–82 DF/MF 1057 Christian Piot 1975–77 GK 858 Maurice Martens 1976 DF 159 Raoul Lambert 1977 FW 260 Julien Cools 1977–80 DF/MF 2061 François Van der Elst 1980 FW 162 Eric Gerets 1980–91 DF 2663 Walter Meeuws 1982–84 DF 264 Jean-Marie Pfaff 1984–87 GK 365 Ludo Coeck 1984 DF/MF 166 Jan Ceulemans 1984–91 MF/FW 4867 René Vandereycken 1984 MF 168 Georges Grün 1989–95 DF 2569 Franky Van der Elst 1992–98 MF 1870 Michel Preud'homme 1993–94 GK 371 Enzo Scifo 1993–98 MF 1172 Lorenzo Staelens 1995–00 DF/MF 1973 Marc Degryse 1995–96 MF 374 Nico Van Kerckhoven 1998 DF/MF 175 Marc Wilmots 1999–02 MF 2376 Gert Verheyen 2001–02 MF/FW 377 Bart Goor 2002–05 MF 2078 Eric Deflandre 2004 DF 279 Timmy Simons 2004–09 DF/MF 3680 Émile Mpenza 2005 FW 181 Daniel Van Buyten 2007–11 DF 1082 Thomas Vermaelen 2009–13 DF 1483 Vincent Kompany 2010–17 DF 3684 Jan Vertonghen 2012–21 DF 1385 Eden Hazard 2015–22 MF/FW 4586 Axel Witsel 2016 MF 1Active87 Thibaut Courtois 2018 GK 1Active88 Kevin De Bruyne 2018–Present MF 7Active89 Romelu Lukaku 2020–Present FW 6Active90 Youri Tielemans 2022–Present MF 5Active
Footnotes
References