Rudi Garcia is out as Belgium head coach. The Royal Belgian Football Association confirmed his departure around July 20, 2026, closing a chapter that began with the team in genuine disarray and ended with a familiar question: what comes next for one of Europe’s most talent-rich squads?
Garcia took the job on January 24, 2025, stepping into a role that Domenico Tedesco had just been forced to vacate. He inherited a team that needed steadying, and by the most basic metrics, he delivered. Belgium held onto its UEFA Nations League A status and punched its ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Still, the tenure never quite settled into something comfortable. Controversies followed Garcia through his time with the Red Devils, including a highly publicized decision to substitute goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois during a critical match against Spain, a move that drew sharp criticism from supporters and pundits alike.
Garcia’s contract was structured to run through the 2026 World Cup. The RBFA decided the answer was no, and by most accounts the split was mutual.
The controversy involving FIFA and US player Folarin Balogun added another layer of turbulence. Balogun, who had switched international allegiance to Belgium, became the subject of a FIFA eligibility dispute that created headaches Garcia could not have anticipated when he took the job.
