Youri Tielemans Named Permanent Belgium Football Captain

Belgium's national football team has named Youri Tielemans as their permanent captain under coach Rudi Garcia, who appointed the Aston Villa midfielder over several more experienced players. Since Garcia's start in 2025, the captaincy had rotated among Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Thomas Meunier, and Tielemans himself, but the coach decided to settle on Tielemans due to his strong relationships with teammates and unanimous support within the squad. Tielemans expressed pride in the honor but emphasized that the role will not change his personality or attitude. Garcia acknowledged the continued importance of other leaders like De Bruyne, Courtois, and Lukaku, but confirmed Tielemans as the chosen skipper moving forward. Belgium has earned four points from two World Cup qualifiers so far and will next play Liechtenstein. The appointment signals Garcia's intent to unify and lead the team with a captain who embodies leadership beyond seniority.