Thomas Meunier has voiced his frustration after being left out of the Belgium squad for the Nations League. Manager Mark van Bommel named a 28-man selection on Friday in Tubize for the competition's first four matches, omitting the Sunderland defender and AC Milan's Alexis Saelemaekers.
Van Bommel, 49, chose continuity, retaining 20 of the 26 players from the 2026 World Cup squad. Belgium, who currently sit top of their World Cup qualifying group with five points, begin this cycle with an away trip to Italy on September 25. They will then face France twice and Turkey.
Meunier's reaction
Meunier's exclusion did not go unnoticed. The manager disclosed he had a frank conversation with the 34-year-old. "I absolutely did not tell him to stop," van Bommel stated. "He was not in agreement and told me he would become important again, which I thought was very nice, but I am simply choosing other players for now."
The decision comes as several other key figures like Thibaut Courtois, Axel Witsel, Amadou Onana and Jérémy Doku are also absent for various reasons. Van Bommel also spoke with Kevin De Bruyne to confirm his full commitment within a golden generation where Romelu Lukaku may resume an impact role, as seen at the World Cup.
The Red Devils enter this international break with a recent record of three wins, one draw and one loss from their last five outings. Their most recent match was a 2-1 defeat to Spain on July 10. The full schedule of upcoming matches is on our fixtures page, and the detailed squad list can be viewed via the squad.
The first fixture of this series is set for the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium in Milan against Italy, a clash that will kick off their Nations League campaign. Their next match after that is against France, a fixture for which data shows Belgium have a record of 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses in the last five meetings.
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