Belgium has registered three official goalkeepers for the 2026 World Cup: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Man Utd), and Mike Penders (Chelsea). The coaching staff initially intended to bring Vandevoordt to the US to ensure the team always had four goalkeepers available for scrimmage training.

Maarten Vandevoordt joined the Belgian squad in 3/. Photo: Instagram / maarten_vandevoordt

Under Coach Rudi Garcia's plan, Vandevoordt was not slated to play in the World Cup but only to provide professional support during training. However, after discussions with RB Leipzig, both parties agreed that the 24-year-old goalkeeper would not travel to the US.

The German club did not entirely oppose the RBFA's plan but argued that Vandevoordt needed to focus on preparing for the new season and be ready before the 2026-2027 Bundesliga season began.

Despite not traveling to the US, Vandevoordt will still participate in Belgium's preparation phase at home, which includes two friendly matches against Croatia on 2/6 and Tunisia on 5/6.

This change in plans was facilitated by an agreement between the RBFA and MLS club Seattle Sounders. Consequently, if additional goalkeepers are needed for training during their time in the US, Coach Garcia can borrow an American goalkeeper from the club.

During the 2026 World Cup, the Belgian team will use the Seattle Sounders' training center as its base camp.

Nonetheless, Vandevoordt remains on the reserve list and could be called up if one of the three current goalkeepers sustains an injury before the tournament.

Belgium's 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup. Photo: Livescore

Coach Garcia announced Belgium's 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup two weeks ago. Veterans from the "Golden Generation" such as Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Thibaut Courtois are all included, likely marking their final World Cup appearance.

One of the most debated decisions was the call-up of Axel Witsel. The 37-year-old player is highly valued for his experience and versatility in playing both as a center-back and a defensive midfielder. Meanwhile, players like Romeo Lavia, Arthur Vermeeren, and 17-year-old talent Nathan De Cat were omitted.

Coach Garcia stated that the most important criteria for squad selection were team spirit and a balance between experience and youth. "We need a cohesive team that knows how to support each other. The team's ambition is limitless, but the immediate goal is to advance from the group stage as top performers", he said.

The French coach also emphasized that Belgium is not considered a championship contender, but the position of an underdog team could help the players perform more comfortably at the 2026 World Cup.