Van Bommel appointed Belgium head coach

Belgium appointed Mark van Bommel, 49, as head coach on a contract running through Euro 2028, according to BBC Sport. Van Bommel will officially assume the role on 15 August 2026.

Van Bommel, a former Netherlands captain, succeeds Rudi Garcia. Garcia's departure was confirmed after Belgium's quarter-final exit to Spain at the 2026 World Cup, which Spain won.

Van Bommel most recently managed Royal Antwerp, where he guided the club to the Belgian league title, Belgian Cup, and Belgian Super Cup over a two-year spell. He will be assisted by Boudewijn Zenden, Maarten Martens, and Reinier Robbemond.

Van Bommel released a statement on his appointment. "It is a great honour to become head coach of Belgium," he said, per BBC Sport. "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."

Belgian Football Association sporting director Vincent Mannaert said Van Bommel's "international experience as both a coach and player" would help the Red Devils "continue to improve, achieve results and reach their full potential", according to the BBC.

An early task for Van Bommel is to oversee Nations League fixtures against Italy, France, and Turkey across September and October 2026.