Van Bommel to lead Belgium to Euro 2028 after Garcia departure

Mark van Bommel has been appointed Belgium head coach on a contract running to the end of Euro 2028, the Royal Belgian Football Association confirmed on Friday.

The 47-year-old Dutchman succeeds Rudi Garcia, whose 18-month spell in charge ended with the conclusion of Belgium’s 2026 World Cup campaign.

In an official statement, the Belgian FA said Van Bommel will formally take up his role on 15 August. He will be supported by assistants Boudewijn Zenden, Maarten Martens and Reiner Robbemond as part of his backroom staff.

Garcia’s contract expired after the 2026 World Cup, where Belgium were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Spain, who went on to lift the trophy. That defeat brought to an end an 18-match unbeaten run for Belgium, stretching back to March 2025.

Van Bommel returns to dugout after Antwerp spell

Van Bommel steps back into management after a two-year absence, having left Royal Antwerp at the end of the 2023-24 season.

In his first campaign with Antwerp, he guided the club to the Belgian league title, their first top-flight crown in 66 years. He departed after the following season, during which Antwerp featured in the Champions League but were knocked out in the group stage.

His coaching career has also included a spell in charge of PSV Eindhoven, as well as assistant roles with the national teams of Saudi Arabia and Australia. In Germany, he had a brief stint with Wolfsburg, which came to an end less than five months after his appointment.

‘A great honour’ to lead Belgium

Speaking after his appointment was announced, Van Bommel said: “انه لشرف كبير ان اصبح المدير الفني لمنتخب بلجيكا، واشكر الاتحاد البلجيكي على ثقته”.

He added: “بلجيكا تمتلك لاعبين مميزين وامكانات هايلة. مع جهازي الفني، نسعى لبناء منتخب منضبط وطموح وشجاع، قادر على منافسة افضل المنتخبات في العالم”.

Van Bommel continued: “لا احد يستطيع ضمان النجاح، لكن يمكننا ضمان العمل الجاد والصدق والالتزام. سنبذل كل ما لدينا لمساعدة هذا المنتخب على التطور يوما بعد يوم واسعاد الجماهير البلجيكية”.

Euro record in focus

Van Bommel takes charge of a Belgium side currently ranked eighth in the FIFA world rankings and under pressure to improve their record at the European Championship.

Since the European Championship was expanded in 1996, Belgium have not progressed beyond the quarter-finals. They went out in the last 16 in one of the last two editions and in the quarter-finals in the other.

That history makes Euro 2028 the primary target at the start of Van Bommel’s tenure as he attempts to break Belgium’s sequence of disappointments at the tournament.

Distinguished playing career

As a player, Van Bommel won 79 caps for the Netherlands and was part of the squad that reached the 2010 World Cup final.

At club level he represented several leading European sides, most notably Barcelona and Bayern Munich, before moving into coaching.