Red Devils depart for Seattle as World Cup countdown hits three days

Heading to America

The Red Devils are in the air. Belgium's squad departed for Seattle on Monday on a 12-hour flight to their World Cup base camp, with the tournament kicking off Thursday. Youri Tielemans summed up the mood: "We're going to try to make everyone as proud as possible" (1).

Garcia sets the tone

Head coach Rudi Garcia made one thing clear before departure: "We intend to stay in the United States for as long as possible" (3) (6). No early exit talk here. The ambition is a deep run, and the tone from the camp is confident.

Straight to work

No time for jetlag. Garcia revealed the squad began acclimatisation planning back in March. As soon as they land in Seattle around midnight, the players face an activation training session immediately (3) (6). The Belgian FA has also installed special lighting at the team hotel to combat the nine-hour time difference.

Cryo for Lukaku, smiles from KDB

The Red Devils move into the Seattle Sounders' training complex, and it comes with a feature Romelu Lukaku will appreciate: a dedicated cryotherapy chamber (7). Kevin De Bruyne is also reported to be in good spirits, with his trademark smile back ahead of the tournament.

The World Cup bonus

Win the World Cup and every player pockets €435,000 gross. That is the bonus the Belgian FA has set for bringing home the trophy (2). No small motivation as the squad settles into Seattle.

Lukaku's mentorship of Doku

Before Doku was a Red Devil, he was a 16-year-old ready to leave Belgium. Romelu Lukaku stepped in and convinced him to stay. The bond between the two is one of the quieter stories heading into this tournament, and it speaks to the leadership in this squad (5).