By Daily Touch Insights Editorial Team
Editorial Team
View Journalist Profile
SPORTS & FOOTBALL — Former Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia has blamed the team's medical staff for injuries and illnesses that he believes weakened the Red Devils' campaign at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Garcia made the comments in his first interview since leaving the Belgium job after the tournament. Although Belgium reached the quarter-finals, the former coach argued that several medical setbacks prevented the team from performing at its full potential.
Belgium eventually lost 2–1 to eventual champions Spain in the quarter-finals, ending Garcia's 18-month spell in charge.
Garcia Says Medical Problems Put Belgium's World Cup at Risk
Garcia told Belgian newspaper Le Soir that Belgium's World Cup campaign was put at risk because some injuries and illnesses were not handled correctly.
His criticism focused particularly on the team's medical management and the treatment of several players during the tournament.
Garcia believes that having a healthier squad could have allowed Belgium to progress further than the quarter-finals.
Jeremy Doku Became a Major Concern
One of the clearest examples cited by Garcia was Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku.
Doku was expected to be an important attacking player for Belgium, but he struggled with illness during the tournament.
Garcia said that, at his insistence, a scan had been arranged for Doku before the situation became more serious.
According to Garcia, the doctor did not believe the scan was necessary after Doku had been given antibiotics. Doku also felt better at the time and ultimately did not attend the scan.
Several days later, however, the winger reportedly spent a night in an emergency department with fluid on his lungs.
Garcia Believes Belgium Lost an Important Player
Doku's absence was particularly significant because of his pace, dribbling ability and ability to create attacking opportunities.
Garcia argued that Belgium effectively played much of the tournament without the version of Doku they had expected to have available.
The coach believes the situation affected the team's attacking options and reduced the depth available to him.
Other Players Also Suffered Problems
Garcia also pointed to injuries involving several other important Belgian players.
Among those mentioned were captain Youri Tielemans, Charles De Ketelaere and Zeno Debast.
Garcia said the accumulation of injuries made it increasingly difficult for him to field his strongest possible team during the tournament. 2
These setbacks became particularly important during the knockout stages, when Belgium needed its most experienced players to perform at their highest level.
Belgium Still Reached the Quarter-Finals
Despite the problems, Belgium did not have a disastrous World Cup.
The team reached the last eight after surviving a difficult group stage and a dramatic knockout match against Senegal.
Belgium opened the tournament with draws against Egypt and Iraq before producing a much stronger performance in a 5–1 victory over New Zealand.
The result allowed Belgium to finish top of its group on goal difference.
Belgium Improved Against the United States
Belgium produced its strongest performance of the tournament in the last 16 against the United States.
The Red Devils won 4–1 and looked significantly more convincing than they had during the group stage.
The victory appeared to suggest that Garcia's team had finally found greater attacking rhythm at the right moment.
However, the quarter-final against Spain presented a much greater challenge.
Spain Ended Belgium's Campaign
Belgium's World Cup ultimately ended with a 2–1 defeat against Spain in the quarter-finals.
The match also featured another injury problem involving goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who was forced to leave the game.
Garcia later defended his decision to replace Courtois, saying the goalkeeper indicated that he could no longer perform at full capacity.
The defeat meant Belgium finished among the final eight teams at the tournament.
Garcia's Contract Was Not Renewed
Garcia's contract with Belgium was not extended after the World Cup.
The Belgian football association confirmed in July that the two sides would part ways following the tournament.
Garcia had taken charge in early 2025 and guided Belgium through the transition toward a new generation while also securing qualification for the World Cup. 5
The federation subsequently appointed former Netherlands international Mark van Bommel as the new head coach.
Garcia Says He Could Have Stayed
Despite leaving the position, Garcia said he would have considered continuing as Belgium coach if the federation had offered him a new contract.
However, he said his decision would have depended on being able to work under better conditions.
His comments indicate that the dispute was not simply about salary or contract length.
The former coach specifically emphasised his desire for an improved working environment, including changes to the medical setup.
The Medical Staff Has Not Publicly Responded
There was no immediate response from the Belgian football association to Garcia's criticism, according to Reuters.
That means Garcia's account should be understood as his version of events rather than an independently established finding that the medical staff caused Belgium's World Cup problems.
This distinction matters because injuries and illnesses in elite sport can involve complicated medical and individual decisions.
How Much Did Injuries Actually Cost Belgium?
It is difficult to measure precisely how much Belgium's medical problems affected the tournament.
Football results are influenced by tactics, player form, opposition quality, individual mistakes and luck as well as injuries.
Belgium's early draws against Egypt and Iraq, for example, cannot automatically be attributed to medical problems.
At the same time, losing key players or having important players operate below full fitness can clearly reduce a team's options.
The Bigger Issue Is Squad Availability
International tournaments give coaches very little time to recover from setbacks.
Unlike a club season, where a team can have months of fixtures and opportunities to replace injured players, a World Cup has a compressed schedule.
A single injury can therefore have a disproportionate effect.
For Belgium, maintaining the fitness of experienced players was especially important because Garcia was attempting to combine an older generation with emerging talent.
Medical Management Can Affect Tournament Strategy
A coach needs reliable information when deciding whether a player can train or compete.
Medical assessments can therefore influence team selection, training intensity and tactical planning.
If a player is unavailable unexpectedly, a coach may also have to change formations or rely on less experienced alternatives.
Garcia's criticism suggests that he believed some of Belgium's problems could have been reduced through better coordination between the coaching and medical teams.
Garcia Still Defends His Work
Despite his criticism, Garcia did not describe his time with Belgium as a failure.
He said he was proud of helping restore the team and guiding the country to the World Cup quarter-finals.
He also highlighted his experience working with players including Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Romelu Lukaku during a period of generational change.
Garcia said he left without bitterness and believed his mission had been accomplished.
Belgium Now Begins a New Era
With Garcia gone, Belgium has moved into another phase of its transition.
The appointment of Mark van Bommel gives the national team a new coach and a fresh opportunity to assess the squad ahead of future international competitions.
The new management will also have to address the lessons from the World Cup, including player fitness and medical coordination.
Our Perspective
Garcia's criticism deserves attention, but it should not become an excuse for every weakness Belgium showed at the World Cup.
A quarter-final appearance is not evidence of a failed campaign, and injuries are part of elite football.
However, if a coach genuinely believes medical decisions repeatedly limited his squad, the federation should examine those claims rather than simply dismissing them.
The real question is not whether injuries hurt Belgium — they clearly did. The question is whether better medical coordination could have prevented some of those problems and given the team a realistic chance of going further.
Conclusion
Former Belgium coach Rudi Garcia has blamed the team's medical staff for several injuries and illnesses that he believes weakened the country's 2026 World Cup campaign.
He specifically highlighted Jeremy Doku's illness and subsequent hospital treatment, while also pointing to problems involving Youri Tielemans, Charles De Ketelaere and Zeno Debast.
Belgium nevertheless reached the quarter-finals, where it lost 2–1 to eventual champions Spain. Garcia's contract was not renewed after the tournament, bringing his 18-month tenure to an end.
Belgium's next challenge is to learn from the tournament without turning medical problems into a convenient explanation for every sporting disappointment. The country's future success will depend on the quality of its players, coaching, preparation and medical management working together.
