Welcome to DiablesRouges.eu! You have stumbled upon the #1 fan page dedicated to Belgium’s national football team – the Red Devils. Here, you will find all sorts of information on the team’s rich history, legendary players, statistics, current results, and much more. The Red Devils are loved and revered not only in the country they represent, but all over the world, because of their many accomplishments and masterful plays. Let’s take a look at the team’s impressive history and accomplishments.
Early History
Belgium was in fact the first mainland European country to play organized, association football. The sport was brought to them by British exchange students and teachers, and was soon a favourite pastime of many. The first Belgian football league started in 1896, a year after what would become the Belgian football association was found. Coincidentally, the Red Devils’ official fan club is known as ‘1895’. Soon after, the national team was formed – their first official game was on the 1st of May, 1904, against France. The match ended in a 3-3 draw, and was attended by as many as 1500 spectators. Only a few days after that, the Belgian football association joined six other national teams in founding the International Federation of Association Football – which is now known as FIFA.
First Golden Generation
After several decades of varying success, the Red Devils start experiencing their first big successes. The turning point was the UEFA Euro 1980, where the Belgium national team managed to finish second, losing to West Germany in the finals. The 1980’s and 1990’s are generally considered the first golden age of the Red Devils – under coach Guy Thys, the team garnered reputation for being a well-organised machine that was extremely difficult to play against. In 1986, the team even got to the World Cup semi-finals.
Up until 2002, the Belgium national team managed to qualify for every FIFA World Cup, and in most cases they made it at least to the second round. When the new millennium kicked in, however, the Red Devils saw a bit of a decline. They failed to qualify for most major tournaments, and experienced bitter defeat wherever they managed to get in. However, things were only going to get better and better from here on now.
New Golden Generation
With new management and a fresh team of great players, the Belgian national team quickly rose to the fifth place in the FIFA World Rankings for 2013. The new coach Marc Wilmots became renowned for his efforts and the amazing results he managed to achieve in just a short time. At the 2014 World Cup finals, the Red Devils got a streak of four consecutive wins, resulting in a spot at the quarter-finals. In 2015, after qualifying for Euro 2016, the Belgian national team reached #1 in the FIFA World Rankings. The streak of success continues today, as they prepare for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Nickname & Logo
The nickname ‘Red Devils’ was spawned pretty early in the team’s history. In 1905, a Dutch reporter wrote that Belgian football players ‘work as devils’. The following year, Pierre Walckiers, manager of Leopold FC, nicknamed the players ‘Red Devils’, due to the colour of their kits and a consecutive string of recent victories. The phrase became widely popular, and made the team known under that name throughout the whole world.
Since 2012, the team’s logo is a red trident (or rather a pitchfork), in tune with the ‘Red Devils’ nickname. As far as mascots go, the first one the team had was a lion in a team kit, who went by the name Diabolix. The second official one was a super-devil, and the third one – a fan-made modern devil. The logo of the official ‘1895’ fan club is also decorated with a set of devil’s horns.
Diables Rouges: Achievements Over the Years
Diables Rouges was established in 1904, and more than a century later, it hasn’t stopped celebrating various achievements. The period between 2014 and 2018 is considered to be The Golden Era of the Belgium National Team. In 2014, the team qualified for the FIFA World Cup, which is the most prominent football competition on a global level. Scoring a winning streak of four triumphant matches against Russia, the United States, Algeria, and South Korea, Diables Rouges took second place in the quarter-finals.
In the following years, the team remained at the very top position of the FIFA World Ranking – a football ranking system. The reason being was that the team performed absolutely spectacular in the stadium once Roberto Martinez took the lead. In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Belgium played against seven teams and won six of the games. The result was a 2018 FIFA World Cup third place for the Diables Rouges.
During the Euro 2020 Qualifies Competition, the Belgium national team won against Russia and was said to be the greatest competitor for the European Trophy. At present days, the players who are considered the gems of the team are Eden Hazard, who is also the captain of the national team, and Jan Vertonghen, who was awarded the Footballer of the Year award back in 2012.
Team Statistics
To conclude our first page, we will present to you some interesting information about the Red Devils and the games they have played over the years of their existence. The following information is true as of March 2021 – we will try our best to update it each month.
The official match record of Belgium’s national team stands on a total of 748 games.
- Wins: 348
- Draws: 169
- Losses: 283
The Red Devils have scored a grand total of 1430 goals, while the amount of conceded goals stands at 1270. The highest winning margin that the team as achieved is against San Marino (10-1) and Zambia (9-0). The record for longest winning streak is seven games, and their unbeaten record stands at fourteen consecutive official games.
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