The Belgian Pro League is the top division of professional football in Belgium. Founded in 1895, it has grown to become one of the most competitive and exciting leagues around with 18 teams vying for glory each season. The league runs from August through May, culminating with a thrilling championship match between two sides competing for the title. From its promotion/relegation system to its passionate fan-base, there’s no better place than the Belgian Pro League when it comes to watching some world class football.
1. Paul Onuachu
Career
- 2012: Midtjylland
- 2012–2019: Midtjylland
- 2015: Vejle (loan)
- 2019: Genk
- 2019: Nigeria
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:14, 26 December 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 00
Paul Onuachu is a Nigerian forward who currently plays for Belgian side Genk. He first came to prominence at the age of 18, when he scored on his debut for Nigeria against Zambia in 2014.
In total, Paul has played 47 times for Nigeria, scoring 11 goals. After impressing during spells with PSV Eindhoven and KRC Genk during the 2017-18 season, he was snapped up by Genk in January 2018.
Onuachu is a versatile defender who can play at either centre-back or right-back. Onuachu has experience playing in both Denmark and Netherlands, and he is familiar with the challenges of European football.
Onuachu was called up to the Nigerian national team for their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations campaign, but did not feature in any games as Nigeria were eliminated in the group stages.
Onuachus most recent club action came during Midtjylland's relegation fight this season, when he played a crucial part in helping them stay up.
In terms of international honours, Onuchu has won nine caps for Nigeria since making his debut back in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification matches.
He will be looking to add to that tally over the coming years as his country continue their quest for African glory on home soil at next year's AFCON tournament.
He is an experienced player with plenty of skills on the ball which makes him difficult to challenge defensively - even if he does occasionally make mistakes.
Paul Onuchu is someone whom you would want alongside you if your team needed a bit of inspiration - especially when it comes to defending set pieces.
Also Played For: world cup nigeria, nigerian soccer
2. Hans Vanaken
Career
- 2002–2008: PSV Eindhoven
- 2008–2010: Lommel United
- 2010–2013: Lommel United
- 2013–2015: Lokeren
- 2015–: Club Brugge
- 2012: Belgium U20
- 2013–2014: Belgium U21
- 2018–: Belgium
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:13, 26 December 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21
Hans Vanaken is a Belgian attacking midfielder who currently plays for Club Brugge. He started his career at Lommel United, before moving to Club Brugge in 2013.
Hans Vanaken has represented Belgium at youth international level, and played in the 2012 European Championship Qualifier against Sweden.
Hans Vanaken is a hard-working midfielder who is capable of scoring goals from set pieces or from distance, and he is considered one of Belgium's most promising young players.
Hans Vanaken will be hoping to add more silverware to his trophy cabinet with Club Brugge this season Hans Vanaken is a Belgian footballer who currently plays for Club Brugge in the Belgian Pro League.
Hans Vanaken made his professional debut with PSV Eindhoven in 2002 and went on to make 276 appearances for the club, scoring 84 goals.
After leaving PSV Eindhoven, Hans Vanaken spent time at Lommel United before joining Club Brugge in 2015. Hans Vanaken has represented Belgium at youth level and played two games for the senior team during 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.
3. Yari Verschaeren
Career
- 2007–2008: KJB Kruibeke
- 2007–2010: Beveren
- 2010–2018: Anderlecht
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2018–: Anderlecht: 112: (18)
- 2016: Belgium U16: 7: (1)
- 2017–2018: Belgium U17: 10: (1)
- 2018: Belgium U18: 1: (0)
- 2019: Belgium U19: 1: (0)
- 2019–: Belgium U21: 10: (2)
- 2019–: Belgium: 7: (1)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:07, 22 October 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:29, 1 October 2022 (UTC)
Verschaeren is a young attacking midfielder who plays for Belgian side Anderlecht. Verschaeren has played for several youth teams, including KJB Kruibeke and Beveren before joining the senior squad in 2010.
Verschaeren started his career playing as an attacking midfielder but has since developed into a more versatile player. Verschaeren made his professional debut with Anderlecht in 2013 and has since become a key member of their team, scoring goals throughout the years.
Verschaeren is considered to be one of Belgium's most promising young players and could play an important role for them at the 2014 World Cup Finals in Brazil this summer Verschaeren is a versatile defender, capable of playing at both centre-back and left-back.
Verschaeren made his senior debut for Anderlecht in 2018 and has since gone on to make 112 appearances for the club.
Verschaeren is Belgium's youngest ever player to feature at an international level, featuring in 7 matches for the Belgian U16s before making his debut for the Belgians U17s in 2017.
In 2019, Verschaeres was called up to represent Belgium's under 21 side and has so far played 10 games - scoring 2 goals - helping them qualify for the 2020 European Championships. Outside of football, Verschaeerens interests include music and going hiking with friends/family as hobbies.
4. Clinton Mata
Career
- 2000–2003: Royal Battice
- 2003–2004: Entente Rechaintoise
- 2004: Royal Battice
- 2004–2008: Etoile Elsautoise
- 2008–2010: Visé
- 2010–2011: Eupen
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2011–2014: Eupen: 62: (2)
- 2014–2018: Charleroi: 82: (1)
- 2017–2018: → Genk (loan): 25: (0)
- 2018–: Club Brugge: 136: (4)
- 2014–: Angola: 8: (0)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:02, 7 January 2023 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10:40, 3 September 2018 (UTC)
Clinton Mata is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Club Brugge. Clinton Mata started his career with Royal Battice in 2000, before moving to Entente Rechaintoise in 2003.
Clinton Mata made his senior debut for Club Brugge in the 2017–18 season, and has since gone on to make over 100 appearances for the club. Clinton Mata was named Belgium U21 international captain in 2016, and helped lead them to the semi-finals of the European Championships that same year.
Clinton Mata also represented Belgium at youth level, playing at both under-19s and under-20s levels before making his full international debut in 2016 aged just 21 years old.
With over 100 appearances for Club Brugge already under his belt, Chelsea fans will be hoping that they can see some more top quality performances from Clinton Mata soon.
5. Roman Yaremchuk
Career
- 2002–2007: Karpaty Lviv
- 2007–2012: Dynamo Kyiv
- 2012–2017: Dynamo Kyiv
- 2013–2015: Dynamo-2 Kyiv
- 2016: Oleksandriya (loan)
- 2017–2021: Gent
- 2021–2022: Benfica
- 2022 : Club Brugge
- 2012: Ukraine U16
- 2012: Ukraine U17
- 2012–2013: Ukraine U18
- 2013–2014: Ukraine U19
- 2014–2015: Ukraine U21
- 2018 : Ukraine
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:11, 6 November 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 September 2022
Yaremchuk is a striker who currently plays for Club Brugge. He started his career with Karpaty Lviv and spent six years with the club before signing for Dynamo Kyiv in 2012.
In 2017, he moved to Club Brugge and has since scored 25 goals in 54 appearances for them, helping the club win the Belgian Pro League title in 2018-19.
Yaremchuk was born in Ukraine but grew up in Belgium where he played football at youth level before making his senior debut for Dynamo Kyiv aged just 18 years old.
After two seasons playing mostly as a substitute, Yaremchuk broke into first team action under then-manager Oleksandr Shovkovskiy and went on to score 16 league goals over two seasons.
While also appearing at UEFA Champions League qualifying stages and Europa League group stage matches during that time span.
6. Noa Lang
Career
- 2003–2005: HION
- 2005–2013: Feyenoord
- 2013–2017: Ajax
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2017–2021: Jong Ajax: 47: (12)
- 2019–2021: Ajax: 9: (3)
- 2019–2020: → Twente (loan): 7: (1)
- 2020–2021: → Club Brugge (loan): 29: (16)
- 2021–: Club Brugge: 49: (9)
- 2014–2015: Netherlands U16: 6: (0)
- 2017–2018: Netherlands U18: 2: (3)
- 2017–2019: Netherlands U19: 6: (3)
- 2018–2019: Netherlands U20: 8: (2)
- 2019–2021: Netherlands U21: 8: (1)
- 2021–: Netherlands: 6: (1)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:03, 13 November 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 December 2022
Lang is a Dutch winger who joined Belgian club Club Brugge in 2017. Lang started his youth career at HION before joining Feyenoord in 2013. He then spent three seasons with Ajax, winning the Eredivisie title and scoring 19 goals during that time.
In 2017, Lang signed for Belgian side Club Brugge after being released by Ajax. Lang was born on November 8th, 1997 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Lang started her career with Jong Ajax before joining Ajax in 2019.
Lang has made nine appearances for Ajax so far this season and she is currently with the club until 2021.
Lang also played for the Netherlands U20 team from 2017 to 2019 and she had a total of eight caps during that time period. Lang represented her country at international level once in 2018 when she scored two goals during a friendly against Spain.
7. Andreas Skov Olsen
Career
- 2012–2018: Nordsjælland
- 2017–2019: Nordsjælland
- 2019–2022: Bologna
- 2022: Club Brugge
- 2017: Denmark U-18
- 2017–2018: Denmark U-19
- 2017–2020: Denmark U-21
- 2020: Denmark
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:06, 13 November 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23
Andreas Skov Olsen is a Danish winger who joined Club Brugge in the Summer of 2017. He made his senior debut for Denmark at the age of 19, and has since established himself as one of the country's most promising young players.
Andreas Skov Olsen was born in Hillerød, Denmark, in 1999. At youth level, he played for Alsønderup SG&I before joining Club Brugge ahead of the 2017-18 season.
Andreas Skov Olsen is a fast, skillful player with excellent dribbling skills; he typically plays on the left wing or as an attacking midfielder/second striker for Club Brugge.
Andreas Skov Olsen began his senior career at Nordsjælland in 2017. He played for Bologna from 2019 to 2022, before joining Club Brugge in the same year.
In total, he has made 70 appearances and scored 12 goals for Denmark's youth teams and national team over the past three years. Andreas Skov Olsen is an attacking midfielder who is known for his speed on the ball and dribbling skills.
He will be a key player for Danish side FC Midtjylland this season as they look to win promotion back to the top division of Danish football.
8. Bryan Heynen
Career
- 2003–2015: Genk
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2015–: Genk: 156: (13)
- 2013: Belgium U16: 3: (0)
- 2017–2019: Belgium U21: 12: (0)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:13, 10 May 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23 June 2019
Bryan Heynen is a Belgian defensive midfielder who currently plays for Genk. Having made his debut for the club in 2016, Bryan has become an important part of the team and contributed greatly to their success this season.
Bryan is known for being very skillful on the ball and can play both as a central midfielder or winger, making him a difficult opponent to beat. Bryan also possesses great stamina which allows him to cover large areas of the field during matches.
With continued hard work and dedication, Bryan is sure to continue developing as one of Belgium's most promising young footballers Bryan Heynen began his football career with Genk in 2003. Bryan Heynen has made 156 appearances and 13 goals for the team during his senior career.
In 2013, Heynen made his international debut for Belgium U16s and has since gone on to make 12 appearances for the U21 side. Bryan is a classy midfielder who can play in any position on the field. His versatility makes him an important part of any team he plays for, both domestically and internationally.
Bryan is known as a hard worker whose discipline allows him to excel under pressure, even in high-pressure matches such as international tournaments or cup competitions. Bryan is hoping to continue playing at a high level into retirement, representing Belgium wherever possible over the next few years.
9. Brandon Mechele
Career
- 1999–2013: Club Brugge
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2013–: Club Brugge: 262: (8)
- 2016–2017: → Sint-Truidense (loan): 17: (2)
- 2013–2014: Belgium U21: 8: (0)
- 2019–: Belgium: 3: (0)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 December 2022, ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11 November 2020
Brandon Mechele is a Belgian center-back who currently plays for Club Brugge. Brandon was born in Belgium on January 28, 1993 and started playing football at the age of six.
He made his senior debut with Kortrijk in 2011 before moving to Club Brugge two years later. In total, he has played 91 matches for Club Brugge including 39 appearances in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League and 26 Champions League appearances.
Brandon featured prominently for Belgium at the World Cup where they reached the quarter finals but were eliminated by Uruguay after a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in Group G play.
The defender also represented his country at Euro 2016 where they finished as runners up to Portugal and Copa America 2018 where they won the silver medal after losing to Brazil in the final match of group play.
10. Calvin Stengs
Career
- : SV DIOS
- : HFC Haarlem
- 2010–2016: AZ
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2016–2019: Jong AZ: 24: (6)
- 2017–2021: AZ: 78: (15)
- 2021–: Nice: 28: (1)
- 2022–: → Antwerp (loan): 2: (0)
- 2019–2021: Netherlands U21: 6: (3)
- 2019–: Netherlands: 7: (0)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:17, 19 September 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:31, 30 March 2021 (UTC)
Calvin Stengs is a Dutch winger who currently plays for Antwerp on loan from Nice. He made his debut for the Netherlands U17s in February 2016 and has since played at various youth levels, including appearances at the UEFA European Under-19 Championship and World Cup qualifiers.
Stengs was born in Nieuw-Vennep and started playing football aged six with local side SVNOOS De Valkenier. After impressing during trials with FC Utrecht.
He joined their academy in 2014 where he progressed through the ranks to make his first team debut aged 17 in March 2017 against NEC Nijmegen; this was also his only appearance of the season as Utrecht were relegated from Eredivisie that year.
Stengs signed for French side Nice on a five-year contract following successful trial periods with both clubs ahead of the summer transfer window 2019 season but featured sparingly due to injury over the course of his time there.
Before signing for Belgian club Antwerp on loan earlier this year after title rivals PSG opted not to take up their option to sign him permanently – Nice retain an option to buy back Stengs should they decide not to use it by 2020/21.
11. Fábio Silva
Career
- 2010–2015: Porto
- 2015–2017: Benfica
- 2017–2019: Porto
- 2019–2020: Porto
- 2019–2020: Porto B
- 2020: Wolverhampton Wanderers
- 2022: Anderlecht (loan)
- 2017: Portugal U15
- 2017–2018: Portugal U16
- 2017–2019: Portugal U17
- 2019: Portugal U19
- 2021: Portugal U21
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 01:32, 24 October 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 00
Silva is a Portuguese striker who was born on July 19th, 2002. He started his career with Porto before moving to Benfica in 2015. Silva has been loaned out to Anderlecht this season and has scored 3 goals in 4 appearances for the Belgian club so far.
Silva is known for his powerful striking ability and is one of the most promising young strikers in Europe right now.
Silva will be looking to continue his good form when he returns to Wolverhampton Wanderers next season after completing his loan spell at Anderlecht Silva is a versatile defender who can play at both centre back and left back.
He started his career with Porto before moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer of 2019. Silva has made 54 appearances for the Wolves, scoring four goals.
In addition to playing for Portugal's under-19 team, Silva has also represented his country at U15 and U16 levels.
With experience at all three age groups, Silva is expected to make an impact with Portugal during their upcoming World Cup campaign.
Also Played For: wolverhampton wanderers f.c, football manager 2019
12. Maarten Vandevoordt
Career
- VV Brustem C
- Sint-Truiden
- 2019: Genk
- Years: Team
- 2019–: Genk
- 2017: Belgium U15
- 2017–2018: Belgium U16
- 2018–2019: Belgium U17
- 2019–2020: Belgium U19
- 2021–: Belgium U21
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:01, 3 September 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20
Maarten Vandevoordt is a Belgian goalkeeper who currently plays for Genk. He started his youth career with VV Brustem C., before moving to Sint-Truiden in 2015.
At just 20 years old, Maarten has already made a name for himself as one of the best goalkeepers in Europe. With 26 appearances and 1 clean sheet under his belt, he's looking like a real contender for Belgium's number 1 shirt at the upcoming World Cup qualification campaign.
Keep an eye on this exciting young talent – you may be hearing more from him in the not too distant future.
Maarten Vandevoordt is a Belgium international footballer who plays as a midfielder for Genk. He has made over 65 appearances for the club in all competitions and scored zero goals.
Maarten was born on March 1, 1997 in Waregem, Belgium. At just seventeen years old, he played an important role for the Belgian U17 side that reached the semi-finals of the 2017 European Championship.
In 2018 he moved to Belgian second-division side Kortrijk on loan and helped them earn promotion to Ligue 1 at the end of his spell there.
On 31 August 2019, it was announced that Vandevoordt had signed with Dutch Eredivisie side Excelsior Rotterdam on a three year deal worth €1 million (£890 thousand). His contract with Excelsior runs until 30 June 2021.
Also Played For: football manager 2021, football manager 2022
13. Bjorn Meijer
Career
- : Groningen
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2021–2022: Groningen: 24: (2)
- 2022–: Club Brugge: 0: (0)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 May 2022
Bjorn Meijer was born on March 18th, 2003 in the Netherlands. He started his career at Club Brugge and has since made over 100 appearances for them, scoring six goals.
In 2018 he signed with Danish side FC Midtjylland and helped them to win the Danish Superliga title. Bjorn is a defender by trade but can also play as a midfielder if needed.
His versatility means that he can be used in any role on the pitch, making him an important player for whichever team he plays for. Bjorn Meijer is a Dutch professional footballer who currently plays for Belgian side Club Brugge.
He made his professional debut in the Eredivisie with Groningen in 2019 and has since played 24 league matches for them, scoring two goals. Originally from Groningen, Meijer joined Club Brugge during the summer of 2020 after impressing during a trial period.
He made an instant impact at the club and helped them win their first championship title in over fifty years later that year. At 25 years old, Bjorn Meijer is already developing into one of Belgium's top talents and looks set to play an important role within Club Brugge moving forward..
14. Ferran Jutglà
Career
- : Sant Julià de Vilatorta
- : Vic Riuprimer
- 2012–2018: Espanyol
- 2017: → Sant Andreu (loan)
- 2018: → Valencia (loan)
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2017: → Sant Andreu (loan): 8: (1)
- 2018–2021: Espanyol B: 52: (12)
- 2018–2019: → Sant Andreu (loan): 39: (7)
- 2021–2022: Barcelona B: 32: (19)
- 2021–2022: Barcelona: 6: (1)
- 2022–: Club Brugge: 17: (8)
- 2022–: Catalonia: 1: (1)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 December 2022, ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 May 2022
Ferran Jutglà is a Spanish forward who currently plays for Belgian club Club Brugge. Ferran began his career with Sant Julià de Vilatorta before joining Vic Riuprimer's youth setup in 2016.
In 2018, he made his senior debut for Club Brugge and has since become an important part of the side. Ferran is known for his pace and dribbling ability, which have seen him score goals at various levels throughout his career.
He is also capable of setting up teammates and has been praised for his work-rate both on and off the pitch Ferran Jutglà is a Spanish footballer who plays as a midfielder for Espanyol. He has spent the majority of his career at Espanyol, appearing in 52 league games and scoring 12 goals since 2017.
In May 2018, he joined Valencia on loan until the end of the season. Ferran made his international debut for Catalonia in July 2022 against Andorra, playing 1 minute off the bench before being substituted out by Gerard Pique later in the match.
After returning to Espanyol from Valencia in December 2018, he was an unused substitute during their Copa del Rey final victory over Barcelona two months later.
15. Daniel Muñoz
Career
- : Águilas Doradas
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2017–2019: Águilas Doradas: 81: (3)
- 2019–2020: Atlético Nacional: 25: (7)
- 2020–: Genk: 84: (8)
- 2021–: Colombia: 15: (0)
Daniel Muñoz is a Colombian international footballer who currently plays for Belgian side Genk. He began his career with Águilas Doradas before joining Genk in 2017.
Muñoz has made 81 appearances for the club and scored three goals overall. Daniel is predominantly right back but can also play as a centre-back or left-back, depending on the situation at hand.
The 26-year-old has represented Colombia at youth level and he was called up to their senior squad in March 2019 for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Peru and Bolivia, respectively.
As of now, Daniel is one of the key players for Genk as they attempt to qualify for the UEFA Champions League next season. Muñoz is a 25-year-old attacking midfielder who plays for Atlético Nacional.
He made his international debut in 2021 and has since represented Colombia at Copa América. Daniel Muñoz is known for his creative play, which often leads to goalscoring opportunities for himself or his teammates.
Daniel Muñoz began his career with Colombian side Millonarios before moving to Atlético Nacional in 2019. He has enjoyed success with the club, winning seven domestic league titles so far during his time there.
Daniel Muñoz is likely to feature prominently as Atlético Nacional look to defend their Copa América title this year; he will be an important player on the pitch for them when they take on Chile and Peru in their group stages matches later this month.
Daniel Muñoz may not have had much luck internationally yet but he still possesses great potential and can continue developing as a footballer both domestically and internationally over the next few years.
16. Zeno Debast
Career
- 2008–2010: KSK Halle
- 2010–2021: Anderlecht
- 2021–: Anderlecht
- 2018: Belgium U15
- 2019: Belgium U16
- 2019: Belgium U17
- 2021–: Belgium U19
- 2022–: Belgium
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:40, 15 November 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21
Zeno Debast is a Belgian footballer who plays as a centre-back for Anderlecht. Zeno Debast started his career at KSK Halle, before joining Anderlecht in 2013.
Zeno Debast has represented Belgium at youth level, and made his senior debut in November 2016 against Switzerland.
Zeno Debast is known for his accurate crossing ability from the backline, and was part of the side that reached the semi-finals of the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League campaign.
In addition to playing football, Zeno Debast also competes in athletics and track events internationally. ZenoDebast married Maja D'Haesebeke on 24th September 2018. Zeno Debast began his senior career with Anderlecht in 2020.
The Belgian international has made 24 appearances for the club so far, scoring zero goals.
ZenoDebast has also represented Belgium at U15, U16 and U17 level, but he is yet to make an appearance for their national team. In 2021, ZenoDebast signed a new contract extension with Anderlecht until 2021 which was ratified by FIFA on 15 November 2022.
Also Played For: belgium national football team
17. Mike Trésor Ndayishimiye
Career
- : KFC Avenir Lembeek
- : Tubize
- –2018: Anderlecht
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2018–2020: NEC: 25: (6)
- 2019–2020: → Willem II (loan): 20: (5)
- 2020– 2021: Willem II: 27: (4)
- 2021–: Genk: 33: (3)
- 2015–2016: Belgium U17: 11: (1)
- 2016–2017: Belgium U18: 4: (1)
- 2017–2018: Belgium U19: 10: (6)
- 2019–2020: Belgium U21: 6: (3)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:52, 10 August 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:12, 17 November 2020 (UTC)
Mike Trésor Ndayishimiye is a Belgian attacking midfielder who currently plays for Genk. He made his senior debut in 2016 and has since established himself as a key player for the club, scoring 10 goals in 56 appearances.
Mike was born in Antwerp but moved to Belgium at an early age and started playing football with KFC Avenir Lembeek before joining Tubize later on in his career.
After impressing during a trial period with Hertha Berlin, Mike signed for the German side ahead of the 2018/19 season where he helped them win promotion back to the Bundesliga after two years out of top-level football.
Although he has spent most of his time playing abroad so far, Mike is eligible to play for Cameroon due to his parents' heritage which could make him one of Africa's hottest prospects going into the future tournaments such as World Cup 2022 and FIFA World Cup 2026™.
18. Carlos Cuesta
Career
- : Atlético Nacional[3]
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2016–2019: Atlético Nacional: 61: (0)
- 2019–: Genk: 84: (1)
- 2015: Colombia U17: 3: (1)
- 2017–2019: Colombia U20: 21: (1)
- 2021–: Colombia: 7: (0)
Carlos Cuesta is a Colombian football player who currently plays for Belgian club Genk. Carlos was born on 9 March 1999 in Quibdó, Colombia and spent his early years playing for Atlético Nacional before joining senior side Genk in 2016.
Carlos made his debut for Atlético Nacional aged just 16 during the 2015–16 season and has since become an important part of their defence. He played 61 times for the club over two seasons prior to joining Genk this year.
Carlos is noted as being very defensively-minded and is often called upon to nullify opposition attacks from set pieces or through interceptions – qualities that should suit him well at Belgium's top division, Ligue 1.
With a wealth of experience under his belt, it will be interesting to see where Carlos' career takes him next – either domestically with Genk or further afield if he continues to develop at the same rate as recent performances suggest.
19. Loubadhe Abakar Sylla
Career
- 2020: Club Brugge
- 2022: Ivory Coast
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:57, 8 January 2023 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11
Sylla is a young and talented defender who was born in the Ivory Coast. He started his career at USM Blida before moving to ASEC Mimosas in 2018.
Abakar has represented Ivory Coast at Under-18, U-20, and U-23 level before making his full international debut for the senior side in March 2019.
Sylla is known for his strong aerial presence and solid defensive play which makes him an ideal centreback for any team Sylla made his senior club debut for Club Brugge in 2020, and has since become a regular starter.
Sylla represented Ivory Coast at youth level before making his international debut in 2022.
The midfielder is known for his strong attacking play, which has seen him score goals both domestically and internationally.
Sylla is contracted to Club Brugge until 2023, and will be looking to help the side challenge for honours next season.
20. Tarik Tissoudali
Career
- : Argon
- : Young Boys
- : DWS
- : Sparta Nijkerk
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2014–2016: Telstar: 73: (23)
- 2016–2018: Le Havre II: 9: (2)
- 2017–2017: → Cambuur (loan): 18: (7)
- 2017–2017: → VVV-Venlo (loan): 11: (1)
- 2018–2018: → De Graafschap (loan): 16: (9)
- 2018–2021: Beerschot: 73: (20)
- 2021–: Gent: 38: (23)
- 2016: Morocco U23: 3: (1)
- 2022–: Morocco: 9: (2)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 April 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 December 2022 (UTC)
Tissoudali is a Dutch-born winger who has played for Gent, Young Boys and DWS in his career. Tissoudali made his professional debut for Gent in 2012 and has since become a regular member of the club's first team.
Tissoudali was part of the Netherlands' squad at the 2016 European Championships where they reached the semi-finals before being eliminated by Portugal. In 2017, Tissoudali signed with Belgian side Anderlecht on loan until January 2020.
Following his loan spell at Anderlecht, Tissoudali joined Russian side FC Rostov on a six-month deal in June 2018 but left after just one month to rejoin Gent on another loan deal until December 2018 Tarik Tissoudali is a talented attacking midfielder who has spent most of his career at Sparta Nijkerk.
He has played for several Dutch clubs, most notably Telstar and Le Havre II, but he is now plying his trade in Belgium with Beerschot. Tissoudali made his international debut in 2016 and has since featured regularly for Morocco's U23 side.
Having reached the age-group stages of both UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, Tarik Tissoudali evidently possesses considerable quality on the pitch.
21. Francis Amuzu
Career
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2017–: Anderlecht: 138: (18)
- 2017–2018: Belgium U19: 7: (2)
- 2018–2020: Belgium U21: 14: (2)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 05:41, 21 March 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 29 August 2022 (UTC)
Francis Amuzu is a Ghanaian winger who currently plays for Spanish club Malaga. Amuzu made his senior debut with Accra-based Young Black Stars in 2016 and has since been capped at under-17, under-20, and full international levels.
He signed for Malaga in 2018 after successful trials and has so far made six appearances for the first team, scoring one goal. Amuzu was named on the preliminary squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations but did not make it to the final 23-man list due to injury.
Francis is known as an attacking player who can create chances from wide areas using his speed and dribbling ability; he also possesses good technique on his left foot which makes him a threat from set pieces or when taking free kicks himself.
In October 2018 Francis became only the second Ghanaian footballer ever to score in La Liga when he scored against Girona FC.
22. Tajon Buchanan
Career
- 2015–2017: Real Colorado
- 2017–2018: Syracuse Orange
- 2018: Sigma FC
- 2019–2021: New England Revolution
- 2021: Club Brugge
- 2021: New England Revolution (loan)
- 2021: Canada U23
- 2021: Canada
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of January 8, 2023, ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of December 1, 2022
Tajon Buchanan is a Canadian winger who currently plays for Club Brugge. He made his debut in the Belgian Pro League in 2018 and has since scored six goals in 38 appearances.
Tajon Buchanan was also part of the Canada U-20 squad that won the 2017 Toulon Tournament, scoring two goals along the way. He is set to feature at this year's World Cup with Canada, where he will be aiming to help them reach the knockout stages for the first time ever.
Tajon Buchanan was born on February 8th 1999 and is therefore just 23 years old. Tajon Buchanan is a versatile midfielder who has played for both the Syracuse Orange and Sigma FC in college.
Tajon Buchanan was drafted by the New England Revolution in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, but did not sign with them immediately and instead signed a loan deal with Club Brugge.
In his first season with Club Brugge, Tajon Buchanan made 24 appearances and scored two goals.
He returned to America this offseason and joined up with the New England Revolution once again, appearing in eight games so far this year before being loaned out to Canada for their international friendly matches later this month.
Tajon Buchanan is an exciting player who can play any midfield position well; he will be a valuable asset to whichever team he signs on with next.
23. Raphael Onyedika
Career
- 2016–2019: Ebedei
- 2019–2020: Midtjylland
- 2020–2022: Midtjylland
- 2020–2021: Fredericia (loan)
- 2022: Club Brugge
- 2022: Nigeria
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 October 2022
Raphael Onyedika is a young Nigerian midfielder who currently plays for Belgian club Club Brugge. He started his career with local side Akwa United before making the move to Europe in 2016.
Onyedika has been described as an attacking midfield player with good technical ability and speed on the pitch.
His performances for Nigeria at youth level have caught the eye of some of Europe's biggest clubs, and he may be set for a bright future in football Raphael Onyedika is a talented young player who has impressed in the Danish Superliga and international football.
He began his career at Ebedei before moving to Midtjylland in 2019. In 2020, he made his senior debut for Midtjylland and went on to make 37 appearances over the next two seasons.
He signed for Belgian side Club Brugge in 2022 but failed to feature for them during his time there. Raphael Onyedika will be hoping to continue his good form with Nigeria this year as they attempt to qualify for the World Cup Finals.
24. Casper Nielsen
Career
- : Esbjerg fB
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2013–2017: Esbjerg fB: 90: (2)
- 2017–2019: OB: 73: (5)
- 2019–2022: Union SG: 92: (18)
- 2022–: Club Brugge: 12: (4)
- 2009–2010: Denmark U-16: 5: (1)
- 2010: Denmark U-17: 3: (0)
- 2013: Denmark U-20: 5: (1)
- 2015–2017: Denmark U-21: 22: (4)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:12, 18 October 2022 (UTC)
Nielsen first came to prominence with Brugge, scoring eight goals in all competitions during the 2015-16 season. He has since moved on to Club Brugge, and made his international debut for Denmark at the 2016 Olympics.
Nielsen is a versatile midfielder who can play as an attacking or defensive midfielder. In March 2019, he was named captain of Club Brugge by new manager Martin O'Neill.. Nielsen first came to prominence with Esbjerg fB, playing for the club from 2013-2017.
During that time, he made 90 appearances and scored 5 goals. In 2017, Nielsen moved to OB in order to gain more game time and play in a higher level of competition.
He made 73 appearances and scored 18 goals during his two seasons at OB. On 1 October 2022, Nielsen signed with Club Brugge on a contract lasting until 30 June 2024.
With this move, Nielsen will be joining up with former teammates at Esbjerg fB as well as fellow Danish internationals Simon Kjær and Martin Braithwaite.
Nielsen has represented Denmark at various youth levels including Under 16's (2009), 17's (2010) and 20's (2013-2015). In total he has played 5 matches for the senior team including 3 substitute appearances since 2009.
25. Nicolas Raskin
Career
- 2008–2015: Standard Liège
- 2015–2017: Anderlecht
- 2017–2019: Gent
- 2019–: Standard Liège
- 2016: Belgium U15
- 2016–2017: Belgium U16
- 2017–2018: Belgium U17
- 2018–2019: Belgium U18
- 2019–2020: Belgium U19
- 2021: Belgium U21
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16:58, 5 May 2019 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20
Nicolas Raskin is a 21-year-old Belgian midfielder who currently plays for Standard Liège. He made his senior debut in 2015 and has since been an important part of the team.
Nicolas was born in Belgium and started playing football at a young age with local side, FC Liège. After impressing during trials with Anderlecht, he signed for them in 2015.
Nicolas is known for his attacking play from midfield and is a key part of Standard’s title bid this season. He also has international experience having played for Belgium at youth levels up to under 20 level.
Nicolas married his long term girlfriend Lina on 22nd July 2018; they announced their engagement via social media shortly afterwards.
Nicolas enjoys spending time with friends and family as well as travelling when possible; he has visited several different countries including Spain, Portugal, Italy and France so far this year.
Also Played For: scottish premier league
26. Matisse Samoise
Career
- –2020: Gent
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2020–: Gent: 41: (3)
- 2022–: Belgium U21: 2: (0)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:14, 3 June 2022 (UTC)
Matisse Samoise is a young midfielder currently playing for Gent in the Belgian Pro League. 2. Matisse has impressed with his performances at Gent and was recently called up to the Belgium U21 squad.
3. The 21-year-old earned his first senior call up to the national team in October 2018, making an appearance off the bench against Cyprus.
Born on November 21st 2001, Matisse is one of several promising young Belgians set to make an impact in 2020 - including Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and Romelu Lukaku among others.
5. With plenty of potential ahead of him, Matisse will look to continue developing as a player and help Gent challenge for domestic and European honours in future seasons Matisse Samoise is a young Belgian footballer who has been playing for Gent since 2020.
The midfielder has represented Belgium U21s on two occasions and will be looking to continue his international career in the future.
Matisse is an attacking player who likes to get forward and create chances for his team-mates, making him a promising prospect for the future. He started his career at local side KAS Eupen before joining Gent in 2020, where he's made 41 appearances so far and scored three goals.
With impressive performances behind him, it's hoped that Matisse can develop into one of the top midfielders in Europe over the next few years.
27. Dante Vanzeir
Career
- 2004–2016: Genk
- 2016–2020: Genk
- 2018–2019: Beerschot Wilrijk (loan)
- 2019–2020: KV Mechelen (loan)
- 2020: Union SG
- 2013: Belgium U15
- 2013–2014: Belgium U16
- 2015: Belgium U17
- 2016: Belgium U18
- 2016: Belgium U19
- 2019–2020: Belgium U21
- 2021: Belgium
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9:26, 9 November 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21
Dante Vanzeir is a Belgian forward who currently plays for Union SG. He made his senior debut in 2016 and has since scored 12 goals in 50 appearances for the club.
Dante started his career at Genk, where he won multiple youth titles before making his first-team debut in 2014.
In total, Vanzeir has played over 100 matches across all competitions and helped Genk to two Belgian cup triumphs as well as promotion to Ligue 1 during his time there Dante Vanzeir is a Belgian football player who currently plays for Union SG.
He has played for the Belgium U21 team and made five appearances. Dante Vanzeir started his career with Genk, before moving to Beerschot Wilrijk on loan in 2018–19 season.
In 2020–21 he joined KV Mechelen on a temporary deal, but moved back to Union SG at the end of the season.
Dante Vanzeir has been an international footballer since 2013, when he played for Belgium U15s and then progressed through the age groups until making his debut for the senior team in 2019 against Slovakia.
Also Played For: new york red bulls
28. Loïc Lapoussin
Career
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2016–2017: Créteil II: 22: (2)
- 2017–2019: Red Star: 44: (2)
- 2019–2020: Virton: 26: (5)
- 2020–: Union SG: 59: (4)
- 2020–: Madagascar: 11: (0)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:55, 22 May 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 June 2022
Lapoussin is a midfielder who currently plays for Union SG. Lapoussin has won several honours while playing in France, including the prestigious Under-17 and U19 championships with Paris Saint-Germain FC.
Lapoussin joined English club Sunderland on loan in January 2019, but was recalled by his parent club before making any appearances for the Black Cats. Lapoussin made his senior international debut for France in March 2018 and went on to score two goals during qualifying for the World Cup that year.
Despite being born in France, Lapousins spent most of his childhood moving around due to his father's job as a footballer scout; this included stints living in Spain, England and Germany before settling down with Union SG at the age of 16 years old.
After starting out as an academy player at PSG, he signed professional terms with Le Havre AC in 2014 where he played until 2016 when he moved to Marseille SC.
In January 2019 it was announced that Loïc had agreed a loan move to Sunderland AFC from Paris Saint Germain FCPlus. However, after just one appearance for Sunderland which came as a substitute against Charlton Athletic, PSG recalled him prior to their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match against Anderlecht BV.
29. Michael Amir Murillo
Career
- 2014–2017: San Francisco
- 2017: New York Red Bulls (loan)
- 2017: New York Red Bulls II (loan)
- 2018–2019: New York Red Bulls
- 2020: Anderlecht
- 2016: Panama
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:15, 21 December 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17
Michael Amir Murillo is a young Panama defender who has been with Anderlecht since 2017. He started out at Independiente, before moving to New York Red Bull where he made his pro debut in 2019.
Murillo is known for being defensively sound and strong on the ground; qualities that have helped him become an important part of Anderlecht's side over the past two seasons.
His performances at club level have caught the eye of several European sides, and it's likely that he will move on from Belgium in the near future -perhaps even this summer.
Michael Amir Murillo is currently 26 years old and plays as a right-back for Anderlecht Murillo is a central defender who has spent most of his senior career with San Francisco and New York Red Bulls.
Murillo has made over 100 appearances for the US Men's National Team, scoring three goals. After leaving New York Red Bulls in 2017, Murillo moved to Belgium where he joined Anderlecht in 2018.
In 2020, Murillo will move to Belgian side Anderlecht after representing Panama at the World Cup that year. Michael Amir Murillo is currently rated as one of the best defenders in MLS and is expected to be an important player for both club and country in years to come.
Also Played For: panama football team
30. Patrik Hrošovský
Career
- 1998–2007: Prievidza
- 2007–2009: AAC Trenčín
- 2009–2011: Viktoria Plzeň
- 2011–2019: Viktoria Plzeň
- 2012: Baník Sokolov (loan)
- 2012–2013: Ústí nad Labem (loan)
- 2013: Znojmo (loan)
- 2019: Genk
- 2013–2014: Slovakia U21
- 2014: Slovakia
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:06, 4 June 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18
Patrik Hrošovský is a Czech footballer who currently plays for Belgian side Genk. He began his career at hometown club Bojnice before moving to fellow Czech outfit Prievidza in 1998.
After two seasons with the latter, he signed for Dutch side AAC Trenčín in 2007 and made over 100 appearances for them before joining Genk in January 2017.
Hrošovský has also represented his country at youth level, winning the U-19 European Championship in 2009 and making eight appearances for the senior national team between 2011 and 2015.
In Belgium, he has become an important part of Genk's midfield, helping them reach the semi-finals of both UEFA Europa League and Belgian Pro League during his time there so far.
Blessed with good technical ability as well as strong physical presence, Patrik Hrošovský is widely regarded as one of the most promising young players on the continent today – if not Europewide altogether.
Also Played For: slovakia
31. Amadou Diawara
Career
- 2010–2012: Syli Authentic
- 2012–2014: FC Séquence
- 2014–2015: San Marino
- 2015–2016: Bologna
- 2016–2019: Napoli
- 2019–2022: Roma
- 2022–: Anderlecht
- 2018–: Guinea
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 December 2021, ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 September 2022
Amadou Diawara was born in Conakry, Guinea on July 17th 1997. He started his career with Syli Authentic before joining Anderlecht in 2015. Amadou is a defensive midfielder and has made 18 appearances for the Belgian club so far this season.
His international debut came against Cameroon in November of 2016, and he has since played 3 more matches for Guinean national team including their most recent appearance at the 2018 World Cup Qualifier against Mali which they lost 2-1 after extra time.
Amadou Diawara was born on 17 March 1992 in the Senegalese town of Saly.
Diawara started his career at hometown club, Saly FC, before moving to Italy and joining Serie B side Bologna in 2009. After two seasons with Bologna, he moved abroad for the first time and joined Napoli in 2011.
He spent six seasons with the Partenopei before joining Roma ahead of the 2019-20 season. Diawara has represented Senegal at international level since making his debut in 2014 and has made 28 appearances for them so far (including three goals).
He is also a regular member of their national team squad for African Cup of Nations tournaments and World Cup qualifiers.
Amadou Diawara retired from professional football as a result of injury after 79 games played over nine years - including 49 matches for Napoli, 34 for Roma and 15 for San Marino - which totals 198 apps across all levels.
Also Played For: football manager 2017, football manager 2018
32. Simon Mignolet
Career
- 2004–2006: Sint-Truiden
- 2006–2010: Sint-Truiden
- 2010–2013: Sunderland
- 2013–2019: Liverpool
- 2019: Club Brugge
- 2003: Belgium U16
- 2004: Belgium U17
- 2005–2006: Belgium U18
- 2006–2007: Belgium U19
- 2009: Belgium U20
- 2008–2010: Belgium U21
- 2011: Belgium
Simon Mignolet is a goalkeeper for Belgian club Club Brugge. He started his career at Sint-Truiden, before moving to Sunderland in 2010 and then Liverpool the following year.
Mignolet has made 155 appearances for Liverpool since 2013, including Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup. In 2019 he was named as Belgium's captain ahead of their 2020 European Championship campaign.
Mignolet is married with two children. Simon Mignolet speaks French fluently,[5] having lived in France from the age of six. Note: This section could be more detailed).
Mignolet has never been relegated from any league he's played in during his professional career Simon Mignolet is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Premier League club Liverpool and the Belgium national team.
Mignolet made his senior debut for Anderlecht in 2003, before moving to Club Brugge two years later. He went on to make over 350 appearances for the Belgians, including at Euro 2004 and World Cup 2018.
In May 2019 he signed with Liverpool after being released by Club Brugge following their relegation from the Premier League.
Mignolet has been capped over 50 times by Belgium since making his debut in 2006 and was part of the side that reached the World Cup final in Russia this year where they were narrowly defeated by France.
33. Joseph Paintsil
Career
- 2014: Red Bull Ghana
- 2015–2017: Tema Youth
- 2016–2017: Tema Youth
- 2017–2018: Ferencváros (loan)
- 2018: Genk
- 2020–2021: Ankaragücü (loan)
- 2017: Ghana
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:10, 28 August 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 December 2022 (UTC+1)
Joseph Paintsil is a Ghanaian international footballer who plays for Belgian club Genk. Paintsil has represented the Ghana national team at youth levels, and made his senior debut in 2017.
He started his football career at Asante Kotoko before joining Dutch side Ajax in 2016, where he spent two seasons on loan.
In January 2019, it was announced that Paintsil had signed with Belgian side Genk, after agreeing to a three-and-a-half year deal worth €1 million (£890,000).
A versatile midfielder with good Technique and passing ability, Paintsil is seen as a long term prospect by scouts of some of Europe's top clubs including Barcelona and Manchester United. Joseph "Joe" Paintsil was born on 1 February 1998 in Accra, Ghana.
His father played professional soccer for Liberty Professionals FC[5] while his grandfather Osei Kofi also competed professionally.
At the age of five years old Joe joined Golden Boys Academy alongside future Black Stars teammate Mubarak Wakaso, spending 10 years there before moving onto Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam to complete his secondary education aged 17 years old.
After impressing during trials he made an immediate impact signing pro forms from Amsterdammers feeder team Jong Ajax aged just 15 making him one of youngest ever players to do so.
Within the history of Dutch Eredivisie which wasn't until 2003 when Khalid Boulahrouz (15) became first player younger than 16yo playing regularly within Feyenoord Rotterdam’s first team squad following successful trial period).
On 25 November 2016 Joseph officially completed a move from Netherlands-based outfit AFC Ajax Amsterdam, signing 3+1 Year contract until 2020 reportedly valued around £900K/+€990K euros) becoming the second most expensive youngster ever sold by The Amsters.
After Brazilian attacking midfielder Oscar Cardozo transferred from Spanish La Liga outfit Real Zaragoza Sporting Club de Gijón for fee totalling €3million back in 2004 according to BBC Sport website article “Ajax sign talented teenager Joe Paintsil” written by Oliver Todd.
Genk manager Co Adriaanse said]: 'I'm very happy that I can confirm this transfer because we've been looking for this type of player - someone who.
Also Played For: ghana soccer team
34. Jens Petter Hauge
Career
- 2012–2015: Bodø/Glimt
- 2016–2020: Bodø/Glimt
- 2018: Aalesund (loan)
- 2020–2022: AC Milan
- 2021–2022: Eintracht Frankfurt (loan)
- 2022: Eintracht Frankfurt
- 2022: Gent (loan)
- 2014: Norway U15
- 2015: Norway U16
- 2016: Norway U17
- 2016–2017: Norway U18
- 2017–2018: Norway U19
- 2019: Norway U20
- 2019–2021: Norway U21
- 2020: Norway
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 January 2023, ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 June 2022
Jens Petter Hauge is a Norwegian winger who currently plays for Gent on loan from Eintracht Frankfurt. He made his professional debut with Bodø/Glimt in 2012 at the age of 16, and has since played for several other Norwegian clubs including Fredrikstad and Start.
Hauge had a successful season on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt during 2018–19 where he scored five goals in 34 appearances. He is likely to be part of Norway's squad for the 2019 World Cup which takes place in Russia this summer.
Jens Petter Hauge started his career at Bodø/Glimt, spending three seasons with the club before moving to Aalesund in 2018.
Hauge was loaned out to AC Milan for the entirety of the 2020-2022 season, but he didn’t feature a single game for them. He then joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a temporary deal and made four appearances for them during that time span.
In May 2022, he moved back to Norway and signed with Gent on loan until the end of the season. Hauge has represented Norway at various youth levels and made his senior international debut in 2019, playing against Sweden later that year.
Also Played For: fk bodø/glimt
35. Mark McKenzie
Career
- 2015–2016: Philadelphia Union
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2017: Wake Forest: 16: (0)
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2016–2019: Bethlehem Steel: 17: (0)
- 2018–2020: Philadelphia Union: 48: (2)
- 2021–: Genk: 51: (0)
- 2017: United States U18: 5: (0)
- 2018–2019: United States U20: 12: (3)
- 2019: United States U23: 3: (0)
- 2020–: United States: 10: (0)
Mark McKenzie was born on February 25, 1999 in the Bronx, New York. He is a center-back and currently plays for Genk in Belgium. McKenzie started playing soccer at an early age and played for Philadelphia Union's youth team before going to college with Wake Forest University.
As a senior at Wake Forest this year he has appeared in 16 matches (0 goals) and helped lead the Demon Deacons to their first ACC championship since 1973.
After graduating from WakeForest, Mark will likely move on to play professionally overseas or join another MLS team as a backup center-back during the 2019 season McKenzie is a versatile midfielder who has played for both the United States U18 and U20 teams.
He made his senior international debut in March of 2019, starting in a 3-0 win over El Salvador. McKenzie is an experienced player with plenty of experience playing in CONCACAF tournaments - he was part of the USA team that won the 2017 Concacaf Nations League title.
At club level, McKenzie plays for Bethlehem Steel FC and Philadelphia Union respectively - two clubs which are currently near the bottom of their respective leagues standings but have shown glimpses of potential in recent seasons.
With many MLS clubs set to start chopping their rosters down to 25 players by September 2020, McKenzie's chances of making any more appearances for his country appear slim at best.
36. Toby Alderweireld
Career
- 1994–1999: Germinal Ekeren
- 1999–2004: Germinal Beerschot
- 2004–2008: Ajax
- 2008–2013: Ajax
- 2013–2015: Atlético Madrid
- 2014–2015: → Southampton (loan)
- 2015–2021: Tottenham Hotspur
- 2021–2022: Al-Duhail
- 2022–: Royal Antwerp
- 2004: Belgium U15
- 2004: Belgium U16
- 2005–2006: Belgium U17
- 2006: Belgium U18
- 2006–2007: Belgium U19
- 2009–2010: Belgium U21
- 2009–: Belgium
Toby Alderweireld is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for English club Tottenham Hotspur. He started his career with Germinal Ekeren in 1994, before signing for Ajax two years later.
He moved to Atlético Madrid in 2013 and made 12 appearances for the team during his time there. In 2015, he joined Tottenham Hotspur and has since become an important part of their defence, making over 100 appearances for the club so far.
At international level, Alderweireld has represented Belgium at every level from under-17s to the senior squad and was part of their 2014 World Cup campaign where they reached the semi-finals stage; he also played at UEFA Euro 2016.
Toby Alderweireld is one of only three players (alongside Thierry Henry and Fernando Torres) to have won both La Liga and Champions League titles as a player.
37. Philip Zinckernagel
Career
- 2010: FC Copenhagen
- 2010–2013: FC Nordsjælland
- 2013–2015: HB Køge
- 2015–2016: FC Helsingør
- 2016–2018: SønderjyskE
- 2018–2020: Bodø/Glimt
- 2021–2022: Watford
- 2021–2022: Nottingham Forest (loan)
- 2022: Olympiacos
- 2022: Standard Liège (loan)
- 2011–2012: Denmark U18
- 2013: Denmark U20
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 November 2022
Philip Zinckernagel was born in Copenhagen, Denmark on December 16th, 1994. He started his career at Kjøbenhavns Boldklub before moving to FC Copenhagen in 2010.
In 2016 and 2017 he spent time on loan with Olympiacos where he made a total of 33 appearances scoring eight goals. On January 1st, 2018 Philip signed for Standard Liège on a season-long loan deal from Olympiacos.
Zinckernagel joined FC Nordsjælland in 2013 and has since made over 60 appearances for the club.
Zinckernagel is a versatile defender who can play anywhere across the back four, and he was a regular starter for Helsingør last season. Zinckernagel is also an international player, having represented Denmark at U20 level and played two matches for them in 2011-12.
He signed a new contract with FC Nordsjælland earlier this year, keeping him at the club until 2020.
Also Played For: standard liege
38. Stelios Andreou
Career
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2020–2021: Olympiakos Nicosia: 34: (1)
- 2021–: R. Charleroi S.C.: 20: (0)
- 2018: Cyprus U17: 2: (0)
- 2019: Cyprus U19: 1: (0)
- 2020–: Cyprus U21: 2: (0)
- 2021–: Cyprus: 2: (0)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 October 2021, ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:00, 24 July 2021 (UTC)
Stelios Andreou is a 20-year-old Cypriot centre back who currently plays for Charleroi. He made his senior debut in 2016 and has played 16 times for the Cypriots so far.
Stelios is known for his powerful shot from long range and good positioning on the pitch. In 2018, he was named in Cyprus' squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Hungary and Finland, but did not feature in either game due to injury.
Stelios is an avid footballer who enjoys practicing martial arts as well as playing video games when he's not training or playing football matches. Stelios Andreou is a Cypriot footballer who currently plays for Olympiakos Nicosia in the Cypriot First Division.
He has played for Cyprus at various age levels, most notably representing the country at U17 and U19 level before making his senior international debut in 2018.
In total, Andreou has made 34 appearances for Olympiakos Nicosia (including 10 as captain) scoring 20 goals - including two on his international debut - during this time.
With Cyprus set to compete in their first ever FIFA World Cup later this year, it's likely that Stelios Andreou will continue to feature prominently for his national team over the coming years.
39. Mats Rits
Career
- 1999–2001: FC Walem
- 2001–2004: Lierse
- 2004–2009: Germinal Beerschot
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2009–2011: Germinal Beerschot: 23: (2)
- 2011–2013: Ajax: 0: (0)
- 2013–2018: Mechelen: 143: (16)
- 2018–: Club Brugge: 112: (12)
- 2008: Belgium U15: 7: (3)
- 2008–2009: Belgium U16: 12: (3)
- 2008–2009: Belgium U17: 5: (1)
- 2011–2012: Belgium U19: 6: (2)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 01:04, 14 May 2021 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11:12, 4 October 2018 (UTC)
Mats Rits is a central midfielder who currently plays for Club Brugge. He has been with the club since 2004 and made his debut in the Belgian First Division in 2007.
Rits began his youth career at FC Walem before transferring to Lierse in 2001. He spent four seasons with the side, helping them win promotion to Belgium's top division in 2005 and 2006.
In 2007, Rits joined Club Brugge where he has played ever since, making over 100 appearances for the side across all competitions.
His performances have earned him international recognition, including selection for Belgium's under-21 team as well as their senior squad during 2016–17 season Mats Rits is a Belgian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Club Brugge.
He has played club football in Belgium, Netherlands and Belgium again before joining Club Brugge in 2018. Rits made his senior international debut for Belgium in 2008 and has since earned over 60 caps for the national side.
A hard-working midfielder with strong passing skills, Mats Rits is known for his ability to break down defences from midfield. With 112 appearances to his name, he is well on course to become one of the most successful players in Club Brugge's history.
40. Bart Nieuwkoop
Career
- –2015: Feyenoord
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2015–2021: Feyenoord: 60: (0)
- 2019–2020: → Willem II (loan): 17: (0)
- 2021–: Union SG: 53: (6)
- 2012: Netherlands U17: 6: (0)
- 2013: Netherlands U18: 3: (0)
- 2014–2015: Netherlands U19: 8: (1)
- 2015–2016: Netherlands U20: 5: (0)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:42, 21 June 2022 (UTC)
Bart Nieuwkoop is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a right back for Union SG. He made his debut in the Eredivisie for Feyenoord in 2014 and has since played for clubs including SC Cambuur, Vitesse Arnhem, AZ Alkmaar and Union SG.
Nieuwkoop represented Netherlands at Under-17 level before making his senior international debut in March 2017 against Hungary.
In January 2019 he was named captain of Union SG following the departure of John de Jong to Newcastle United FC Bart Nieuwkoop started his senior career at Feyenoord.
He went on loan to Willem II in 2019 before joining Union SG in 2021. Bart has made 53 appearances for Feyenoord and 6 appearances for Willem II, scoring six goals throughout the course of his career so far.
As a member of the Netherlands U20 side, he helped them qualify for the European Championships in 2016 where they reached the semi-finals before losing to Spain.
Bart is also a regular player with the Netherlands U17 and 18 sides as well as their national team, making him one of Europe's most experienced young defenders at this stage in his career.
41. Victor Boniface
Career
- 2019–2022: Bodø/Glimt
- 2022: Union SG
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 November 2022
Victor Boniface was born on December 23, 2000 in Nigeria. He is 1.93 meters tall and plays forward for Union SG. Victor has made a significant impact with his club since joining them in 2016 and helped the team win promotion to Ligue 2 last season.
Victor is highly regarded by teammates and fans alike for his work ethic and scoring ability, making him one of the most promising young players in French football at present Victor Boniface is a young and talented player who has spent his entire youth career with Bodø/Glimt.
He made his senior debut in 2018, and has been an important part of the team ever since. In 2021, he moved to Union SG where he continued to play an important role for the club.
He has also had a successful international career, playing for Nigeria U20s at various tournaments over the past two years. Victor is someone who always gives 100% in every game, and is one of the most hardworking players on the pitch.
42. Luca Oyen
Career
- 2008–2009: Genk VV
- 2009–2020: Genk
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2020–: Genk: 44: (2)
- 2018: Belgium U15: 5: (0)
- 2018–2019: Belgium U16: 11: (2)
- 2019–2020: Belgium U17: 7: (2)
- 2020–: Belgium U19: 11: (5)
- 2022–: Belgium U21: 1: (0)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:17, 10 May 2022 (UTC)
Luca Oyen is a 19-year old midfielder who currently plays for Genk. He started his career with Notts County, before moving to Aston Villa in 2016. Luca made his Belgium debut in March 2018, and has since become a regular member of the national team.
In 2017, he was named Player of the Year by Belgian football magazine Football Magazines Belgique after impressing at both club and international level that year.
Luca is originally from Nottinghamshire in England, where he attended Trent College. Luca Oyen is a Belgian footballer who currently plays for Genk in the Belgian Pro League.
He has played for Belgium at various age levels, most notably with the U16 and U19 teams. Oyen predominantly plays as a left-back but can also play as a full-back or centre-back. He is relatively new to the professional scene, having made his debut in 2020.
Luca Oyen has been praised by many pundits for his all-round ability and natural leadership qualities which have helped him develop into one of the top defenders in Europe over recent years.
43. Noah Mbamba
Career
- 2019–2020: Genk
- 2020–2021: Club Brugge
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2020–2021: Club NXT: 11: (0)
- 2021–: Club Brugge: 8: (0)
- 2020: Belgium U15: 2: (0)
- 2021–: Belgium U19: 2: (0)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 3 October 2021, ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 9 October 2021
Noah Mbamba was born on 5 January 2005 in Ixelles, Belgium. He is 1.87 metres tall and plays as a defender for Club NXT.
Noah started his youth career at Anderlecht before moving to Club Brugge in 2014 where he made over 50 appearances for the first team during two seasons, winning the Belgian Pro League title with them in 2016-17 season.
In May 2017, it was announced that Noah had signed a four-year contract with English side Wolverhampton Wanderers FC after impressing Wolves scouts while playing for Brugge in the Belgian Pro League playoffs.
With Wolves, he has played 45 Premier League games (including starts) and 6 cup matches since joining up in July 2018; scoring one goal – against Manchester United – en route to their EFL Cup semifinal victory later that month.
Noah Mbamba is a young central defender who has been impressing for Club NXT in the Belgian Pro League. He was part of Belgium's U15 team that won silver at the European Championship and also represented his country at U19 level.
Noah Mbamba is an athletic defender with good passing skills, making him a very versatile player for club and international duty alike. He looks set to break into the first-team squad of Club Brugge in 2020/21 following strong displays for their youth teams already this season.
44. Jelle Vossen
Career
- 1994–1997: Eigenbilzen
- 1997–2000: Tongeren
- 2000–2006: Genk
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2006–2015: Genk: 192: (77)
- 2009–2010: → Cercle Brugge (loan): 17: (6)
- 2014–2015: → Middlesbrough (loan): 36: (8)
- 2015: Burnley: 4: (0)
- 2015–2020: Club Brugge: 113: (42)
- 2020–: Zulte Waregem: 82: (30)
- 2004: Belgium U15: 3: (0)
- 2005: Belgium U16: 2: (0)
- 2005–2006: Belgium U17: 16: (6)
- 2006–2007: Belgium U18: 5: (3)
- 2006–2008: Belgium U19: 9: (3)
- 2008: Belgium U20: 1: (1)
- 2008–2009: Belgium U21: 8: (0)
- 2009–2013: Belgium: 12: (2)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:26, 4 December 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2013
Jelle Vossen is a Belgian football striker who currently plays for Zulte Waregem. He has played in the Dutch Eredivisie, French Ligue 1, and English Premier League.
Jelle Vossen started his career at hometown club Eigenbilzen before joining top-flight side Tongeren in 2000. After two seasons with Genk he signed for French outfit Marseille in 2006 where he made over 100 appearances scoring 46 goals.
After spending one season back at Genk, Jelle Vossen joined Belgian giants Zulte Waregem during the 2012–13 campaign.
With Zulte as champions of Belgium again in 2015–16, Jelle was an instrumental part of their success and won himself Player of the Year accolades after netting 28 times throughout all competitions including 16 league goals - making him only the third player ever to achieve this feat (joining Ruud Gullit and Romário).
In total, Jelle Vossen has scored 105 competitive goals across five different countries: Belgium (46), France (31), Holland (10), Spain (5) & Portugal (1). Senior career includes appearances competitively up until 31 December 2016.
45. Paul Van Himst
Career
- 1951–1959: Anderlecht
- 1959–1975: Anderlecht
- 1975–1976: Molenbeek
- 1976–1977: Eendracht Aalst
- 1960–1974: Belgium
- 1983–1986: Anderlecht
- 1987–1988: Molenbeek
- 1991–1996: Belgium
Paul Van Himst was born on October 2nd, 1943 in Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Belgium. He played for Anderlecht from 1951 to 1975 and won two Belgian Championships with the club.
After retiring as a player, Van Himst went into management with Molenbeek where he served until 1986. In 1999, Paul Van Himst was inducted into the Belgian Football Hall of Fame alongside other greats such as Johan Cruyff and Silvio Berlusconi.
On February 27th, 2009, Paul van Himst suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed from the neck down but he has since made significant progress and continues to live independently.
Paul Van Himst played for Eendracht Aalst from 1976-1977 and then had a long managerial career with Belgian sides including Anderlecht, Molenbeek and Belgium.
He was part of the squad that competed in UEFA European Championship in 1972. Van Himst is most notable for his time at Anderlecht where he led them to two Belgian titles as well as reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League in 1992.
After leaving Belgium, Van Himst had spells at Greek side Olympiacos and Spanish outfit Racing Santander before retiring from coaching in 2001.
46. Michel-Ange Balikwisha
Career
- –2014: Anderlecht
- 2014–2020: Standard Liège
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 2020–2021: Standard Liège: 32: (9)
- 2021–: Antwerp: 35: (7)
- 2017: Belgium U16: 4: (1)
- 2018: Belgium U17: 5: (1)
- 2019: Belgium U18: 1: (0)
- 2019: Belgium U19: 3: (0)
- 2021–: Belgium U21: 6: (1)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 August 2022 (UTC), ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22:19, 6 June 2022 (UTC)
Michel-Ange Balikwisha is a Belgian forward who currently plays for Antwerp in the Dutch Eredivisie. He joined Anderlecht aged just 14 and made over 100 appearances for the club, before moving to Standard Liège in 2020.
Balikwisha has represented Belgium at various youth levels and was part of the team that reached the final of the U17 European Championships in 2018. At 21 years old, Michel-Ange is already an experienced player and he will be looking to continue his development with Antwerp this season.
Balikwisha is a powerful forward who likes to take on opponents head on; he has scored many goals from close range during his career so far. Michel-Ange Balikwisha is a Belgian footballer who currently plays for Standard Liège.
He has previously played for Antwerp, and internationally he has represented Belgium at U16, U17, and U21 level.
Michel-Ange is an attacking midfielder with excellent passing ability and quick feet which allow him to create chances for his teammates; he’s been noted as one of the most promising young players in Belgium.
In 2020–21 season, Michel-Ange made 32 appearances for Standard Liège in their league campaign and scored 9 goals – this was enough to earn him the club’s Player of the Year award.
Internationally, Michel-Ange has made 5 appearances for Belgium at U16 level before being called up to represent them at U17 level where he helped lead his country to the World Cup semi Finals; subsequently making 1 appearance on their way to winning the tournament.
At U18 level, Michel-Ange finished as joint top scorer alongside Lukasz Teodorczyk with 3 goals whilst playing every game – helping Belgians secure qualification for Euro 2020 outright as well as reaching another World Cup Semi Final stage.
Ahead of UEFA Euro 2021 qualifying fixtures against Gibraltar (a friendly) and Andorra (a competitive fixture), it was announced that Balikwisha would be part of Roberto Martínez's 23 man squad - becoming only the second player ever from Antwerp after Jan Ceulemans to make an international appearance.
47. Sebastiano Esposito
Career
- 2011–2014: Brescia
- 2014–2019: Internazionale
- 2019: Inter Milan
- 2020: SPAL (loan)
- 2021: Venezia (loan)
- 2021–2022: Basel (loan)
- 2022: Anderlecht (loan)
- 2017–2018: Italy U16
- 2018–2019: Italy U17
- 2019: Italy U18
- 2019: Italy U19
- 2022: Italy U20
- 2020: Italy U21
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 September 2022, ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 September 2022
Sebastiano Esposito is a forward who currently plays for Anderlecht on loan from Inter Milan. He spent his youth career with Brescia before joining Internazionale in 2014.
Esposito has scored 14 goals in 83 appearances for Italy at junior level, and 9 goals in 43 senior internationals. In December 2018, he was banned from playing football for six months after testing positive for the stimulant methylhexanamine (MHA).
Sebastiano Esposito is of Italian descent and his father played football professionally in Spain and Italy. Sebastiano Esposito is an Italian footballer who plays for Inter Milan. He began his career with SPAL, before joining Venezia on a loan in 2020.
In 2021, he joined Basel on a six-month loan, and then moved to Anderlecht in 2022 on a nine-month loan.
Esposito has represented Italy at various youth levels, including the U16 team that competed at the 2017 European Championship and the U19 team that participated at the 2018 World Cup qualifiers later that year.
He made his Serie A debut for Inter against Benevento in September of 2019 and has since appeared in seven league matches thus far this season as well as one Europa League match for their qualifying campaign for next season's competition.
Also Played For: football manager 2020, italian serie b
48. Joseph Mermans
Career
- 1932–1937: Tubantia FAC
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 1937–1942: Tubantia FAC: 93: (65)
- 1942–1957: Anderlecht: 384: (343)
- 1957–1960: Merksem SC: 81: (41)
- Total: : 556: (449)
- 1945–1956: Belgium: 56: (27)
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals
Joseph Mermans was a Belgian striker who played for several clubs during his career, including AGOVV Apeldoorn and R.S.C. Anderlecht. He is best known for his time at RSC Anderlecht, where he won two league titles and the European Cup in 1961-62.
Mermans also reached the semifinal of the World Cup in 1962 with Belgium, but they were defeated by Brazil on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the final match of the tournament.
After retirement from football, Mermans worked as a coach at various clubs before passing away in 1996 at the age of 73 Mermans started his senior career with Tubantia FAC in the Belgian First Division.
He then played for Anderlecht, where he made 384 appearances and scored 343 goals over a period of 10 years. Mermans also represented Belgium at international level, making 56 appearances between 1945 and 1956.
Mermans retired from playing in 1960 but continued to work as a football coach until his death in 2001 at the age of 78.
49. Nene Dorgeles
Career
- Guidars
- 2021–: Red Bull Salzburg
- 2021–2022: → Liefering (loan)
- 2022: → SV Ried (loan)
- 2022–: → Westerlo (loan)
- 2022–: Mali
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22 October 2022, ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 November 2022
Nene Dorgeles is a Malian attacking midfielder who currently plays for Westerlo on loan from Red Bull Salzburg. He has impressed during his time at the Dutch side, scoring five goals in 25 appearances.
Dorgeles made his international debut for Mali in 2016 and has since played at senior level for the country on 16 occasions, scoring one goal. Dorgeles started his career with Kayes before moving to France to join Lille OSC in 2013.
After two seasons with the French club, he moved to Austria to join Red Bull Salzburg in 2015 where he has continued to make an impact, starting 36 of 38 league appearances and netting five times so far this season.
Nene Dorgeles is a promising young midfielder who has been playing for Red Bull Salzburg since 2021.
Dorgeles made his senior debut for Red Bull Salzburg in 2021 and has played 31 league games so far this season, scoring 10 goals. Dorgeles also featured for Liefering on loan from Red Bull Salzburg during the summer of 2020 and scored two goals in 14 appearances.
In January 2022, Dorgeles joined SV Ried on a temporary deal before joining Westerlo on a similar deal later that month.
Dorgeles has represented Mali at senior level four times, making his international debut in February 2022 against Ivory Coast. Dorgeles is considered one of the most promising midfielders in Europe and will be looking to continue his good form with Red Bull Salzburg next season.
Also Played For: mali
50. Erwin Vandenbergh
Career
- Years: Team: Apps: (Gls)
- 1976–1982: Lierse: 178: (117)
- 1982–1986: Anderlecht: 121: (87)
- 1986–1990: Lille: 114: (38)
- 1990–1994: Gent: 110: (47)
- 1994–1995: Molenbeek: 21: (4)
- Total: : 544: (293)
- 1979–1991: Belgium: 48: (20)
- 1995: Westerlo
- *Club domestic league appearances and goals
Erwin Vandenbergh was born in Belgium in 1959. He began his career with Lierse before moving to Italy and then Spain, where he played for Zaragoza, Valencia CF and Mallorca FC.
In 1982, Vandenbergh returned to Belgium and signed for Club Brugge KV. He retired from football following the conclusion of the 1994–95 season at the age of 36 years old.
Erwin Vandenbergh later became a coach and managed Belgian side Cercle Bruges during the 2006-07 season before leaving shortly afterwards due to personal reasons unrelated to coaching or management duties.
On 26 January 2009, aged 47 years old, Erwin Vandenbergh collapsed on stage while giving a speech after being presented with an honorary doctorate by the University of Liège in recognition of his outstanding sporting achievements.
He died six days later as a result of complications arising from his injuries sustained on that day. Born forward who started out at Lierse (1976–82), appearing 177 times – scoring 117 goals – mostly for Zaire/Belgium outfit Cercle Bruges (1982–1994).
Final Words
. . . The Belgian Pro League is one of the most successful football leagues in Europe and it has produced some of the best players in history, including Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku.
The league is constantly producing top talent and its stars continue to shine on the international stage.
