Belgium has appointed Mark van Bommel as their new head coach, signing him to a contract that runs through Euro 2028. The 49-year-old former Netherlands captain succeeds Rudi Garcia, who left following Belgium's quarter-final exit to eventual world champions Spain at the 2026 World Cup. Van Bommel will officially start his role on 15 August.

Previously, Van Bommel managed Royal Antwerp, leading the club to a remarkable haul that includes the Belgian league title, Belgian Cup, and Belgian Super Cup during his successful two-year tenure.

In his own words, Van Bommel expressed, "It is a great honour to become head coach of Belgium. Belgium has outstanding players and enormous potential. Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the very best."

Vincent Mannaert, the sporting director of the Belgian Football Association, emphasized that Van Bommel's "international experience as both a coach and player" would be crucial for the Red Devils to "continue to improve, achieve results and reach their full potential".

Van Bommel's coaching staff will include Boudewijn Zenden, Maarten Martens, and Reinier Robbemond. An early challenge for the new head coach will be overseeing Nations League fixtures against Italy, France, and Turkey scheduled for September and October.