Belgium vs Senegal prediction 01.07.2026 | World Cup

Belgium topped the group ahead of Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand, but had a lot of luck doing so, as many things had to go their way to secure it. They came to the tournament as one of the teams that could surprise, but we weren't really impressed by them. They showed some major deficiencies, especially when a team defends against them in a low block. We were surprised to see that because, in theory, they have personnel capable of unlocking the other team's defense. However, when a team plays them openly, we can see just how good they are. 

Central defender Nathan Ngoy served his one-game suspension against New Zealand and will be available. We expect to see the 23-year-old back in the starting lineup, alongside Brandon Mechele.

Senegal barely secured the second phase of the tournament after losing the first two games to France and Norway. However, we must say they were competitive in those matches, but simply faced good teams and made some unforced mistakes. Then, in the last game, they won 5:0 against Iraq, but for much of the game, they did not look that great, especially considering Iraq received a red card in the 13th minute. However, when Pape Gueye, Iliman Ndiaye, and Nicolas Jackson entered from the bench, they looked significantly better, and we believe we could see some changes in the starting lineup compared to the last game vs Iraq.

Goalkeeper Edouard Mendy missed the last game against Iraq due to a knee injury sustained against Norway. As of now, the goalkeeper is set to miss the game, and we could see Mory Diaw in the starting lineup again.