"Alongside my coaching team, the goal is to form a squad characterized by discipline, ambition, and the courage to challenge the very top," van Bommel stated.

The Royal Belgian Football Association announced on Friday that the celebrated Dutch midfielder Mark van Bommel has been named the new head coach of Belgium’s national football team.

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The 49-year-old replaces Rudi Garcia, whose contract was not extended after Belgium’s departure from the 2026 World Cup. The Red Devils advanced to the quarterfinals before narrowly losing to Spain, the eventual champions.

The Belgian FA confirmed that van Bommel has committed to a contract that extends through the EURO 2028 tournament, which will take place in the UK and Ireland.

His coaching support will include former Liverpool and Barcelona winger Boudewijn Zenden, ex-AZ Alkmaar midfielder Maarten Martens, and experienced Dutch coach Reinier Robbemond.

Van Bommel described accepting the position as «a significant honor» and expressed gratitude towards the Belgian FA for their confidence in him.

He remarked, «Belgium possesses exceptional players along with notable potential. Together with my coaching staff, we aim to construct a team that is disciplined, ambitious, and sufficiently bold to compete against the finest».

Throughout his distinguished playing career, van Bommel competed in the Netherlands’ Eredivisie, Spain’s La Liga, the German Bundesliga, and Italy’s Serie A, securing championships in all these leagues.

He also featured in the Netherlands squad that reached the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa, where they were narrowly defeated 1-0 by Spain.

After retiring from playing, van Bommel transitioned into coaching, holding positions at PSV Eindhoven and later Wolfsburg in Germany. He most recently managed Royal Antwerp, leading them to win the Belgian Pro League in the 2022-23 season.