Kevin De Bruyne: Not Planning Belgium Retirement After World Cup

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Kevin De Bruyne insists the 2026 World Cup is unlikely to be his final tournament for Belgium, saying continued fitness will decide his international future, while Belgium also manage the absence of Romelu Lukaku and prepare for group games against Egypt, Iran and New Zealand after a mixed decade at recent major competitions.

The Napoli playmaker is poised to feature at a fourth World Cup, having already appeared at the 2014, 2018 and 2022 editions. Belgium reached the quarter-finals in 2014 and the semi-finals in 2018, but exited in the 2022 group stage and then suffered a last-16 defeat to France at Euro 2024.

De Bruyne, now back after almost five months out with a thigh injury, made clear that retirement from international football is not yet under consideration. "I don't think I'll stop after the World Cup. As long as I feel good, I think I want to continue," De Bruyne said, outlining a future that depends heavily on physical condition.

The midfielder explained that recent weeks had centred on rebuilding sharpness with Belgium and Napoli. "I have now been training fully with the team for four weeks. It was important to get fitter, to get more minutes. I'm happy with how things are going now." De Bruyne expects managed minutes rather than full matches in the next fixtures.

Belgium have been drawn in Group G for the 2026 tournament, facing Egypt, Iran and New Zealand in the first phase. To tune up, Rudi Garcia’s side will meet two co-hosts in friendlies, playing the United States on Saturday before taking on Mexico on Tuesday, with De Bruyne likely involved but not overused.

De Bruyne underlined that building rhythm matters more than full-game workloads in these warm-ups. "I don't think I'll play 90 minutes twice. You don't have to, in friendly matches. There are still important duels to come. But it is important to gain match rhythm." The staff are expected to rotate options across both matches.

World Cup Belgium concerns over Romelu Lukaku injury and Napoli situation

Belgium will travel without De Bruyne’s Napoli team-mate Romelu Lukaku for these friendlies. The national team’s record scorer has been restricted to just 64 minutes for Napoli this season because of a recurring hamstring problem, leaving Lukaku racing to regain fitness in time for the World Cup and raising questions about his preparation.

De Bruyne acknowledged the complex picture surrounding Lukaku’s recovery and the atmosphere around Napoli. "There is always a lot of noise around Napoli. If something happens, it is magnified," De Bruyne said. "I don't know the details of what exactly is happening. But the situation is not nice for Romelu. There was his injury, and it lasted a while. I hope Romelu returns as soon as possible."

The captain also highlighted how different medical and rehabilitation approaches had shaped their comebacks. "Romelu and I have followed different paths after our injuries. I did a full rehabilitation, and Romelu did half in Antwerp, half in Naples. When you have two different visions, it's difficult to work together. There were differences. That's not ideal if you want to get fit."

Belgium now enter the World Cup cycle balancing optimism over De Bruyne’s renewed fitness and commitment with uncertainty around Lukaku’s availability, while recent tournament form, a challenging Group G and demanding preparation schedule underline the importance of careful squad management in the coming months.