# List of Belgium national football team captains

As of March 2016, the Belgium national team has been led by at least 89 different captains; 86 different players started an international game as captain, but due to substitutions the total number is higher. At least 15 pure forwards and eight goalkeepers have fulfilled this role but most often Red Devils in defensive positions and midfielders were assigned as captain, as is usually the case in association football. Until 2011 under Dick Advocaat and Georges Leekens the former Belgium U-23 captain Thomas Vermaelen was chosen as national squad's leader, but during an injury period he left the captaincy to Vincent Kompany, who became the new permanent captain. After several periods of injuries and missing out UEFA Euro 2016, Kompany gradually lost his position as captain to Eden Hazard by 2017. Following Hazard's retirement from international duty in 2022, Kevin De Bruyne was appointed as captain.

## All-time captain list

The following table shows which Belgian footballers started international games as captain, and during which period. Players that received the captain's armband because of a substitution or expulsion during a match are not counted.
Last updated: Brazil vs. Belgium, 6 July 2018. Statistics include official FIFA-recognised matches only.
List of captains of the Belgium national football team :
| # | Name | Period | Position | Times | Active |
| 1 | Camille Van Hoorden | 1904–11 | MF | 12 | |
| 2 | Ernest Moreau de Melen | 1905 | DF | 1 | |
| 3 | Edgard Poelmans | 1906–11 | DF | 4 | |
| 4 | René Feye | 1907 | MF | 1 | |
| 5 | Charles Cambier | 1907–10 | MF | 6 | |
| 6 | Max Tobias | 1908 | MF | 1 | |
| 7 | Marcel Feye | 1910 | GK | 4 | |
| 8 | Émile Andrieu | 1912 | DF | 5 | |
| 9 | Oscar Bossaert | 1912–13 | DF | 7 | |
| 10 | Gaston Hubin | 1913 | DF | 1 | |
| 11 | Henri Leroy | 1914 | GK | 1 | |
| 12 | Joseph Thys | 1914 | MF | 1 | |
| 13 | Armand Swartenbroeks | 1914–28 | DF | 37 | |
| 14 | Jules Suetens | 1914 | MF | 1 | |
| 15 | Georgy Hebdin | 1919–20 | FW | 3 | |
| 16 | Fernand Nisot | 1920 | FW | 1 | |
| 17 | Émile Hanse | 1920–22 | MF | 4 | |
| 18 | Joseph Musch | 1921 | DF/MF | 3 | |
| 19 | Oscar Verbeeck | 1924 | DF | 1 | |
| 20 | Florimond Vanhalme | 1926–30 | MF | 14 | |
| 21 | Pierre Braine | 1928–30 | MF | 9 | |
| 22 | Nic Hoydonckx | 1930–33 | DF | 13 | |
| 23 | Jacques Moeschal | 1931 | MF/FW | 2 | |
| 24 | Gust Hellemans | 1932–34 | CH | 5 | |
| 25 | Jules Lavigne | 1932 | DF | 3 | |
| 26 | Jules Pappaert | 1934 | DF | 3 | |
| 27 | Félix Welkenhuysen | 1934 | DF | 1 | |
| 28 | Philly Smellinckx | 1935–38 | DF | 13 | |
| 29 | Émile Stijnen | 1936–39 | MF | 18 | |
| 30 | Ray Braine | 1938 | FW | 1 | |
| 31 | Bob Paverick | 1939–46 | DF | 9 | |
| 32 | John Van Alphen | 1944 | DF/MF | 1 | |
| 33 | Nand Buyle | 1945 | FW | 1 | |
| 34 | Bert De Cleyn | 1947 | FW | 5 | |
| 35 | Marcel Vercammen | 1947 | MF | 1 | |
| 36 | Jules Henriet | 1948–49 | DF/MF | 8 | |
| 37 | François Daenen | 1948–53 | GK | 3 | |
| 38 | Freddy Chaves | 1949–51 | MF/FW | 11 | |
| 39 | Jef Mermans | 1949–56 | FW | 30 | |
| 40 | Henri Meert | 1952–55 | GK | 4 | |
| 41 | Victor Lemberechts | 1953 | FW | 1 | |
| 42 | Pol Anoul | 1953 | FW | 2 | |
| 43 | Louis Carré | 1955–58 | DF | 5 | |
| 44 | Vic Mees | 1956–60 | MF | 16 | |
| 45 | Marcel Dries | 1958 | DF | 2 | |
| 46 | Denis Houf | 1958–61 | FW | 3 | |
| 47 | Rik Coppens | 1959 | FW | 4 | |
| 48 | Henri Diricx | 1960 | DF | 2 | |
| 49 | Martin Lippens | 1960–63 | MF | 3 | |
| 50 | Jef Jurion | 1960–67 | MF | 39 | |
| 51 | Paul Van Himst | 1964–74 | FW | 38 | |
| 52 | Jean Nicolay | 1965 | GK | 1 | |
| 53 | Pierre Hanon | 1966–68 | DF/MF | 6 | |
| 54 | Georges Heylens | 1968–70 | DF | 4 | |
| 55 | Léon Semmeling | 1970 | FW | 1 | |
| 56 | Wilfried Van Moer | 1975–82 | DF/MF | 10 | |
| 57 | Christian Piot | 1975–77 | GK | 8 | |
| 58 | Maurice Martens | 1976 | DF | 1 | |
| 59 | Raoul Lambert | 1977 | FW | 2 | |
| 60 | Julien Cools | 1977–80 | DF/MF | 20 | |
| 61 | François Van der Elst | 1980 | FW | 1 | |
| 62 | Eric Gerets | 1980–91 | DF | 26 | |
| 63 | Walter Meeuws | 1982–84 | DF | 2 | |
| 64 | Jean-Marie Pfaff | 1984–87 | GK | 3 | |
| 65 | Ludo Coeck | 1984 | DF/MF | 1 | |
| 66 | Jan Ceulemans | 1984–91 | MF/FW | 48 | |
| 67 | René Vandereycken | 1984 | MF | 1 | |
| 68 | Georges Grün | 1989–95 | DF | 25 | |
| 69 | Franky Van der Elst | 1992–98 | MF | 18 | |
| 70 | Michel Preud'homme | 1993–94 | GK | 3 | |
| 71 | Enzo Scifo | 1993–98 | MF | 11 | |
| 72 | Lorenzo Staelens | 1995–00 | DF/MF | 19 | |
| 73 | Marc Degryse | 1995–96 | MF | 3 | |
| 74 | Nico Van Kerckhoven | 1998 | DF/MF | 1 | |
| 75 | Marc Wilmots | 1999–02 | MF | 23 | |
| 76 | Gert Verheyen | 2001–02 | MF/FW | 3 | |
| 77 | Bart Goor | 2002–05 | MF | 20 | |
| 78 | Eric Deflandre | 2004 | DF | 2 | |
| 79 | Timmy Simons | 2004–09 | DF/MF | 36 | |
| 80 | Émile Mpenza | 2005 | FW | 1 | |
| 81 | Daniel Van Buyten | 2007–11 | DF | 10 | |
| 82 | Thomas Vermaelen | 2009–13 | DF | 14 | |
| 83 | Vincent Kompany | 2010–17 | DF | 36 | |
| 84 | Jan Vertonghen | 2012–21 | DF | 13 | Active |
| 85 | Eden Hazard | 2015–22 | MF/FW | 45 | |
| 86 | Axel Witsel | 2016 | MF | 1 | Active |
| 87 | Thibaut Courtois | 2018 | GK | 1 | Active |
| 88 | Kevin De Bruyne | 2018–Present | MF | 7 | Active |
| 89 | Romelu Lukaku | 2020–Present | FW | 6 | Active |

## Footnotes

* ↑ Note that the friendlies against Romania on 14 November 2012 and against Luxembourg on 26 May 2014 are not FIFA-recognised due to an excessive number of substitutions.