Belgium’s Red Flames entered the Euros amongst other world class teams, including Spain, Italy and Portugal, with hopes of making it past the group stage. Despite their determination, the Belgian team couldn’t break through, finishing the group stage in the bottom two alongside Portugal, while Spain and Italy claimed the top spots. As the Red Flames bow out of the Euros, it’s worth looking back at their impressive run in the 2022 tournament.
At Euro 2022, Belgium found themselves in a challenging group alongside Iceland, France, and Italy — all teams featuring world-class talent. In their opening match against Iceland, the Red Flames secured a 1-1 draw, thanks to a calmly converted penalty by Justine Vanhaevermaet. Next came a tough encounter with France, where Belgium fought hard but ultimately fell 2-1 to a dominant French side. However, this setback didn’t define their campaign. In their final group stage match, Belgium bounced back with a crucial 1-0 victory over Italy, sealing a memorable win and showing their resilience on the European stage.
After battling through a group stage filled with highs and lows, Belgium earned their place in the Euro 2022 quarter-finals. There, they faced a strong Swedish side and narrowly lost 1-0 — a hard-fought match that reflected their determination and growth.
How did they do it?
Much of Belgium’s progress can be credited to head coach at the time, Ives Serneels. Having worked with Belgium’s youth teams from 2008 to 2010, Serneels took charge of the women’s national team in 2011. He had already guided them to the final of the Women’s Belgian Cup and, under his leadership, the Red Flames qualified for their first major tournament — UEFA Women’s Euro 2017 — by finishing second in their qualifying group.
Serneels brought vision, experience, and belief to the squad. His leadership laid the foundation for a confident 2022 campaign, giving the Red Flames hope and purpose from the outset.
But great coaching is only part of the equation — key players also made a crucial impact. One such player was Janice Cayman, who scored in Belgium’s second group-stage match against France. Named Belgium’s Player of the Year before the tournament, the 36-year-old forward is the nation’s most-capped player and second-highest goal scorer. Her performance leading up to the Euros was stellar, with six goals in six FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifiers and five more in eight Euro qualifiers, helping Belgium top their group.
Tactically, Belgium entered Euro 2022 well-prepared. Serneels’ guiding philosophy was:
“Every country has its own culture. We try our best with the possibilities we have in Belgium.”
This pragmatic mindset helped shape a flexible tactical identity. The Red Flames typically deployed a 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 formation, depending on the opponent, allowing Serneels to maximise the strengths of his experienced core while experimenting with fresh talent in friendlies.
In qualifying, top scorer Tine De Caigny led the line alongside Cayman. Her versatility allowed her to fill multiple attacking roles. Defensively, the central partnership of Julie Biesmans and Laura De Neve remained consistent, while fullbacks Davina Philtjens and Laura Deloose played every qualifier.
Serneels’ biggest challenge during the tournament was competing with Europe’s elite — and he rose to it. Belgium’s Red Flames may have bowed out in the quarter-finals in 2022, but their performance proved they could compete at the highest level. While their Euro 2025 campaign ended in the group stage, the foundations laid in previous tournaments continue to shape a team that’s growing in resilience and ambition — with eyes already turning to the future.
