King Philippe of Belgium visited the Belgian men's national team on Thursday, July 9, 2026, ahead of their FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final match against Spain. The monarch shared a dinner with the squad, received a signed jersey, and posed for a selfie with the players at the team hotel in Los Angeles.
King's Message of Support
In a video posted by the Belgian Red Devils on X, King Philippe praised the team's performance and delivered a clear message: "A few days ago, I watched your match together with my daughter. We stayed up until 2:00 a.m. to watch you play. It was magnificent. I have just one message for you for tomorrow: Tomorrow, we have to win! And I'm sure that will happen! It depends on you! Thank you very much."
The Belgian Red Devils captioned the posts: "Ahead of our quarter-final against Spain, the King visited the squad to show his support for the Red Devils."
Belgium's Road to the Quarter-Finals
Belgium reached the quarter-finals after a mixed group-stage campaign. They drew 1-1 with Egypt, played out a goalless draw against Iran, and then secured a 5-1 win over New Zealand. In the knockout stages, they edged past Senegal 3-2 in the Round of 32 and defeated co-hosts USA 4-1 in the Round of 16.
Spain's Formidable Form
Spain enters the quarter-final in formidable form. The reigning European champions have not conceded a goal at the tournament, keeping a record six consecutive FIFA World Cup clean sheets. After topping Group H, they eliminated Austria in the Round of 32 and edged past Portugal in the Round of 16.
Historical Context
Spain aims to reach the semi-finals for the first time since their championship-winning run in 2010. Belgium, bronze medalists in 2018, seeks to advance to the semi-finals with veterans Romelu Lukaku and Kevin de Bruyne providing crucial leadership.
