Thomas Meunier has praised Belgian boss Rudi Garcia for his immediate impact at the Red Devils since replacing Domenico Tedesco in January.
Belgium qualified for the World Cup on Tuesday with a thumping 7-0 victory over Liechtenstein, marking Garcia’s sixth victory in his tenth game at the helm.
Jeremy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere both shone in Stade Maurice Dufrasne, while Hans Vanaken, Brandon Mechele and Alexis Saelemaekers were also on the scoresheet.
Garcia’s appointment came after Tedesco guided Belgium to the round of 16 of the 2025 European Championship, another poor performance by the Red Devils at a major international tournament.
Belgium’s best result at a World Cup came in 2018 when they finished third in Russia, but Meunier believes Garcia and his staff have steered the team in the right direction.
“The new staff that have arrived exudes something fresh, something new and, to be honest, they are doing their job well and the group is behind them,” Meunier explains.
“They are two completely different staffers. We can’t even compare them. There is one.”
“It’s really a new generation that keeps reinventing football, new exercises and new tactics. It’s something enriching, but it’s not necessarily within everyone’s reach.”
Victory in style. #ScoredMeasurement pic.twitter.com/6qKhgKaWpv
— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) November 18, 2025
It was a much better performance from Belgium, who extended their qualification for FIFA’s flagship tournament next summer with a 1-1 draw against Kazakhstan last week.
They registered 23 shots, 13 of which were on target, giving a total expected goal ratio (xG) of 3.08, compared to Liechtenstein’s paltry 0.04 from their two attempts.
Although Garcia’s team came under fire for their performance at the Astana Arena, Meunier was quick to point out the problems faced by other top nations during qualifying, highlighting Italy, Denmark and Sweden, who will all compete in the play-offs.
“Of course we can always improve our game, but when you join the national team there is always something to work on,” Meunier added.
“And it will be important to get closer to perfection. And we have the players to do that.”
“For example, if you see Sweden, Italy and Denmark, they are all teams that are struggling. And we are still here. We are first in the group with no defeats.”
“The quality is there, the results are there, we have filled all the stadiums, so there is still enthusiasm and we feel that there is also a renewed energy, a second wind with this new generation of Devils. And it is important to carry and support that.”
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