Axel Witsel is ready to enjoy every moment at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with Belgium as the midfielder heads to his fourth tournament knowing it may be his last.
The 37-year-old, who was a member of the golden generation in the 2010s, has been a regular on the Belgian national team since 2010. As the Red Devils’ oldest player going into 2019 World Cup, he is a seasoned veteran with global experience.
The defensive midfielder wants to approach the World Cup the same way he did in Brazil twelve years ago, and his excitement for it hasn’t diminished since his debut in 2014.
“I will take this one like it’s the first one, because it’s going to be the last one,” he said in an interview with Daniel Sobis prior to the competition.
“I’ll do everything in my power to truly savor each moment. I’m not just referring to the games; I’m also talking about training and spending at least four weeks at the hotel with my teammates.
Witsel has already earned 138 caps for Belgium, so he has seen it all. It has been a rollercoaster for a player and team that never lived up to their tremendous potential, from finishing third in 2018 to a terrifying group stage exit four years ago.
This is the final opportunity for players like Witsel, Thomas Meunier, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, and Romelu Lukaku to experience success with Belgium under Rudi Garcia’s supervision.
Witsel feels he has more to offer in this year’s World Cup, and young players like Charles De Ketelaere and Jeremy Doku will give this seasoned team vitality.
“I think it’s important to have balance and a really good mix between the new, the new generation and, I would say, the old one,” he continued.
“I think it’s absolutely vital to be in a really good attitude, which is why not only am I here, but Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, and Courtois have also started to get older.
“I’m not the only one, but I believe that having some extra experience is always important for the World Cup, and we are there to make life easier for the younger players.”
Belgium has come very close to making it to the final in those past World Cups and European Championships.
They lost 1-0 to eventual champions France in the semifinals in 2018, but earlier opportunities have eluded them, most notably a loss to Wales at the 2016 EUROs when they appeared certain to win it all.
Witsel participated in both of those tragic meetings, and he still harbors some regrets about 2018 going into this competition.
The Girona player reflected on the past ten years, saying, “I think with the generation we had, we did amazing things.”
We came in third in 2018. It was truly incredible for us at the moment. Nobody anticipated Belgium’s presence, but we can sense that we could do things differently or little better.
“Anything might have happened when we reached the semifinals. Perhaps it’s different today. We must be truthful with ourselves. I believe that some nations—like France, for instance—are more powerful than us.
They are an incredibly powerful squad, in my opinion. We live in a different world now because of Argentina and Spain.
“There are always surprises in the World Cup, such as a team that goes very far, like Morocco in Qatar last time.”
To dazzle the Americas, Belgium’s veterans must perform. A significant amount of that pressure will fall on recently fit Lukaku and De Bruyne, while Courtois will be essential in goal.
Witsel and colleagues expect to have one more story to tell on July 19, despite the fact that Belgium’s “Golden Generation” is drawing to a close.
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