De Cuyper ready to help Belgium start a new era in the World Cup

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The Albion defender is part of the Red Devils squad for the second time in a major tournament.

2026-06-14T22:30+01:00

Maxim De Cuyper has experience of being part of a major tournament with Belgium, but admits the World Cup is on a different level compared to the Euros.

For Maxim De Cuyper, the World Cup represents the realisation of a lifelong dream. As he prepares to step onto the sport's biggest stage with Belgium, the defender is filled with anticipation, fully aware of the responsibility that comes with ushering in a new era for the Red Devils.

Belgium’s campaign in North America kicks off in Group G and presents a diverse and challenging set of fixtures across multiple time zones.

They open their tournament against Egypt on June 15 at Seattle Stadium. Following that, the Red Devils will head south down the Pacific coast to face Iran at the Los Angeles Stadium on June 21. Their group stage concludes on June 27 against New Zealand at BC Place in Vancouver. For De Cuyper, these games are the culmination of years of relentless hard work.

"You want to show that you can play at the very highest level and that's not something you get to do every day," De Cuyper said, reflecting on his inclusion in the squad. "I want to make use of it. It is something I'd have thought would be the pinnacle."

De Cuyper is no stranger to the atmosphere of major tournaments, having been part of the Belgian squad at the 2024 Euros.

Though he didn't see minutes on the pitch in Germany, the experience was invaluable for his development. "I had the honour to participate in the Euros. I didn't play but it was a huge experience to be there with the team and it's a different environment. It's way different to club football. The World Cup will be even more pressure than the Euros."

Growing up, the World Cup left an indelible mark on De Cuyper. He vividly recalls watching as a fan before ever dreaming of playing in one. "The first one that I remember is South Africa in 2010," he added. "The Netherlands had a good run before losing to Spain, to Iniesta's goal."

Maxim De Cuyper hopes a new 'golden generation' of Belgium players can emerge at the World Cup.

Naturally, his fondest memories centre around Belgium's historic run at the 2018 World Cup when they reached the semi-finals and beat Brazil in the last eight. “Maybe one of the biggest games in Belgium's history. Those are the first memories that come to mind,” he said.

That 2018 squad was famously dubbed Belgium's "Golden Generation," a label that brought immense pressure. De Cuyper acknowledges the weight of following in those footsteps but believes the current squad is ready to carve its own path. "It's a new group, just like the golden generation was at some stage and we had to start as a new group. They also needed some time to get to the level and that's the same for us.

"It was a real honour to play with some of the best players in Belgian history," he added, "I could say names but I am not going to do it because I will forget some! But it's a big honour."

When asked if the current team is trying to make up for the Golden Generation falling just short of a major trophy, De Cuyper offered a measured perspective on his nation's expectations.

"I think the pressure is different for Belgium than, say, England. Even though it was a golden generation, we have a population of 11, 12 million people, so it's not that much and it means it's a big achievement to reach the semis. But if we had reached the final in 2018 then I think we would have won the World Cup."

As De Cuyper embarks on this North American adventure, he won't be the only Albion player chasing World Cup glory. His club teammate, Diego Gomez, is hoping to star for Paraguay in Group D.

The prospect of crossing paths with Gomez in the knockout stages is an exciting thought for the Belgian. "I hope so! It'll be nice, it will mean that we're both through, so it's only a good sign."

Back home, De Cuyper knows his selection is a point of immense pride for his loved ones, many of whom are making the trip to support him. "It's difficult to say but hopefully they're proud, hopefully they get to watch me play. They probably didn't think when I first started playing that I would play at the World Cup," he smiled. "I think everybody who can, will [travel]. It's not so easy because they're also working, but if they can be there, they will be there."

On the eve of the start of the competition De Cuyper remains unphased, focused entirely on the thrill of the competition.

“I don't think about it like that," he insisted when asked if he felt nervous. "It makes me more excited to start the tournament, if you can have the opportunity to go to the World Cup, you think about it every day. We don't get to play it every day, so it's exciting. I hope that we are successful."