There is no other position in Fabian Hurzeler’s Brighton & Hove Albion squad that matches the high level of competition at left-back.Hurzeler will benefit from choosing between a pair of full internationals in Ferdi Kadioglu and Maxim De Cuyper after contrasting fortunes for the pair at the World Cup.De Cuyper is Brighton’s sole representative in the quarter-finals (excluding Jason Steele’s role as training goalkeeper with England). Belgium face Spain in Los Angeles on Friday evening (8pm UK time), having stunned co-hosts the United States in Seattle overnight on Tuesday.De Cuyper excelled. “De Cuyper was the standout player on the pitch for me,” said former Germany, Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, posting on X. “In the end, a well-deserved 4-1, because Belgium consistently punished every uncertainty from the Americans.”It has not always been this smooth for De Cuyper and Belgium during the tournament. Timothy Castagne was preferred at left-back by manager Rudi Garcia in Belgium’s first group game against Egypt, but De Cuyper has started all four matches since coming off the bench during the second half of that 1-1 draw.Belgium looked out of the tournament when De Cuyper was substituted in the 78th minute of their last 32 clash against Senegal, as they trailed 2-0. They stormed back without him to sneak through 3-2 after extra time.De Cuyper’s World Cup adventure has parallels with the fluctuating fortunes of his first season at Brighton after a £17.3m move from Brugge. In May, the 25-year-old — who models himself on attack-minded former Brazil and Real Madrid left-back Marcelo — became only the third player in Premier League history to assist two goals in the first five minutes of a match in a 3-0 home win against relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers. But De Cuyper ended up starting just 17 of 38 league games as Kadioglu dominated the position.Maxim De Cuyper celebrates Belgium’s comprehensive win over the United States (Alex Grimm/Getty Images)The World Cup was a big disappointment for Kadioglu and Turkey. Flagged as dark horses, they flopped by exiting at the group stage. Kadioglu started defeats to Australia (2-0) and Paraguay (1-0), but played no part in a consolation 3-2 victory over the United States, remaining on the bench.Whatever happens to Belgium now, De Cuyper will return to Brighton with renewed vigour for the 2026-27 campaign, while Hurzeler will have extra scope for left-back rotation with the addition of the Europa Conference League to the programme of fixtures.It has been an eventful World Cup so far for Brighton, including moves in and out for players involved in the tournament. Here The Athletic analyses other key takeaways.The briefest of glimpses of a new-look defenceHurzeler’s side compete in four competitions, including the Europa Conference League, in the 2026-27 campaign. The heavy workload means there is a fair chance that Luka Vuskovic and Michael Svoboda will be alongside each other in the centre of defence at some stage.