World Cup 2026: Belgium manager Rudy Garcia to quit when contract expires

Belgium manager Rudy Garcia will step down after the country’s football association decided against extending his contract.

Garcia led Belgium to the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup where they were Defeated champions Spain 2-1.

The 62-year-old replaces Domenico Tedesco as Belgium boss in January 2025 in a deal which expires at the end of July.

“Rudy Garcia has undoubtedly played a key role in the recovery of the Belgian Red Devils,” said Royal Belgian FA Sports Director Vincent Manayert.

“He was appointed national coach in a challenging sporting and financial context.

“Thanks in particular to his commitment and experience, team cohesion was restored and a strong result was achieved at the recent World Cup.

“On behalf of the Federation, I would like to sincerely thank Rudy and his assistants for the past 18 months.

“Together with my team, I am currently preparing for a new cycle with the appointment of a new national coach.”

Belgium failed to convince in the group stage and won just one of their three matches, but produced a remarkable result. A late comeback to beat Senegal 3-2 In the 32nd round.

Next to Garcia Impressed with a 4-1 win over tournament co-hosts USAGarcia likened the incident to an April Fool’s Day joke – a match overshadowed by FIFA’s decision to lift the suspension of US striker Folarin Balogun.

The former Roma, Lyon and Napoli manager did not last more than two years in the job after leaving Marseille in 2019.