Rudi Garcia, coach of the Belgium national team, confirmed that the controversy that preceded the confrontation with the United States in the 2026 World Cup contributed to increasing public support for his team, noting that this will give the players a great morale boost before the expected confrontation against Spain in the quarter-finals.
Garcia said during the press conference: “We had 12 million Belgian fans, but I think that the past days have added millions of new fans to us. This support gives us tremendous energy and increases our enthusiasm before The match.”
The Belgian coach added that his team is aware of the difficulty of the task facing one of the most prominent candidates for the title, but he is confident in the ability of his players to overturn expectations, saying: “We know the extent of Spain’s strength, and everyone expects us to leave, but football does not recognize expectations, and statistics are created to be broken, and we believe in our ability to create a surprise.”
Garcia also spoke about striker Romelu Lukaku, stressing that relying on him as a trump card from the bench was part of the plan. The technical plan from the beginning, and he said: “When Lukaku participates in the match, the opponents immediately feel anxious. I have one of the best strikers in the history of the game on the bench, and we have a group capable of making the difference whether from the beginning or when the substitutes come in.”
In turn, Lukaku revealed that he accepted his role with the national team after a session with the coach last April, explaining that he agreed to implement the plan drawn up by the coaching staff.
The Belgium striker said: “The coach spoke to me early and explained to me the role that awaits me, and I was ready. Therefore, it was not logical for me to start all the matches after I played only 64 minutes with Napoli, and what is most important to me is the interest of the team.”
Lukaku concluded his statements by stressing that the Belgium national team is only thinking about continuing the journey, saying: “When you reach this round of the World Cup, you are not playing to return home, but to win. We have to play a perfect match if we want to overcome Spain and qualify for the semi-finals.”