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Rabat – The Belgian defender Zeno Debast will miss his country’s World Cup quarterfinal against Spain following a last-minute dispute over his fitness.
According to the Mirror, Debast’s club, Sporting Lisbon, has declared him medically unfit to play, overruling the Belgian national team’s medical staff.
As the Red Devils finalized preparations for the high-stakes clash, tensions emerged between Sporting Lisbon and the Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA). The club rejected the federation’s assessment and insisted that the player should not feature in the match.
“His club Sporting Lisbon has informed the player that he is not medically fit to play,” the RBFA said in a statement.
Belgian outlet RTLinfo reported that Debast has been training individually under federation supervision, with Belgian officials contesting the club’s decision. They argue that it contradicts both their medical evaluation and the position of FIFA’s insurers.
Debast had already missed the group stage, where Belgium defeated New Zealand 5-1 and advanced to the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He was also absent during the 3- 2 encounter against Senegal.
However, he returned to the squad as Belgium outclassed the co-host USA in a thrilling match 4-1.
His absence now represents a significant setback for Belgium, particularly after the defender had expressed confidence in his fitness ahead of the quarterfinal.
Belgium will face Spain on July 10 at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California, for a place in the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
