Belgium Appoints Rudi Garcia as New National Soccer Coach

The French coach takes on his first national team role after Belgium's disappointing Euro 2024 performance and Nations League struggles.

Rudi Garcia, a 60-year-old French coach, has been named Belgium's new national soccer team manager, replacing Domenico Tedesco.
Garcia's appointment follows Belgium's early exit in the Euro 2024 round-of-16 and poor recent performances in the Nations League.
This marks Garcia's first national team coaching role after managing clubs like Napoli, Marseille, Lyon, and Roma, though his recent stint at Napoli ended after just five months in 2023.
Belgium faces a Nations League relegation playoff against Ukraine in March and begins their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign in June with a match against North Macedonia.
Garcia succeeds Tedesco, who was hired in 2023 to rebuild the team post-Roberto Martínez era but was dismissed after failing to deliver improved results.