RENTON, Wash. (AP) 鈥� Kevin De Bruyne has accomplished plenty in his decorated career. Yet, the star Belgian midfielder does not plan to take his fourth appearance for granted.
Two days ahead of Belgium鈥檚 World Cup opener against Egypt, the 35-year-old De Bruyne stressed much has changed since his days as a sensation for . Nearly two decades removed from representing his home country for the first time and 119 appearances later, the two-time Premier League player of the season considers himself grateful to do so.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor for me to still be here after playing for the national team for about 16 years. So, that means I鈥檝e done something good,鈥� De Bruyne said with a laugh during the English portion of Saturday鈥檚 press conference. 鈥淗opefully I can play a good tournament and do something well for Belgium.鈥�
The 2025-26 season, his first with , was a challenging one for De Bruyne after 10 years at City, during which he scored 108 goals in 285 games to help the English club to six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League trophy. and did not return until March 6.
Since March, De Bruyne has appeared in 10 Serie A matches, as well as four friendlies for Belgium. In the most recent, on June 6, he scored during a 5-0 victory against Tunisia.
Before Belgium鈥檚 practice at the training facility of Major League Soccer鈥檚 Seattle Sounders, De Bruyne declared himself ready for the tournament.
鈥淚 have done everything I could to get fit,鈥� De Bruyne said in French, 鈥渁nd I feel that way too.鈥�
Even with a clean bill of health, De Bruyne knows he has fewer chances to play for the Belgium national team. The Drongen, Belgium, native admitted as much, noting he doesn鈥檛 have another 10 years remaining in his career, and that he wants to enjoy all aspects of this tournament.
De Bruyne鈥檚 perspective is significantly different from previous stints with the Belgium national team, and his City tenure.
鈥淵ou are only focused on winning and the next match,鈥� De Bruyne said, 鈥渂ut after you have won, it is suddenly over.鈥�
De Bruyne doesn’t plan to ease back on his intensity with teammates. But, with other star players like on the roster, De Bruyne recognizes the onus for winning does not fall solely on him, or seasoned veterans like striker Romelu Lukaku or goalkeeper Thibault Courtois.
The 24-year-old Doku, a teammate with De Bruyne at City for two seasons, has impressed the veteran.
鈥淒efending J茅r茅my for 90 minutes is impossible,鈥� De Bruyne said. 鈥淗e has also become more efficient over the past year. He has found more moments where he can choose his situations. To play a top tournament, we need a good Doku.
鈥淚n any case, he is already making my life easier.鈥�
What qualifies as a 鈥渢op tournament鈥� for this Belgian side, though, is highly subjective. With holdovers from the 鈥淕olden Generation鈥� teams like De Bruyne, Lukaku and Courtois, Belgium is still to be taken seriously as a threat to go all the way in the tournament, especially considering its relatively favorable draw in Group G with Egypt, New Zealand and Iran.
Still, after a historic third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Belgium did not advance past the group stage in 2022 in Qatar. If Belgium is to recapture the momentum of that 2018 performance, having De Bruyne in top form would go a long way.
De Bruyne will have a chance to turn back the clock quickly when he and Belgium square off against former Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and Egypt in their World Cup opener on Monday.
鈥淚 played against Mo for 10 years,鈥� De Bruyne said. 鈥淥ur kids also went to the same school. So, I saw him from time to time. And, he鈥檚 a really nice guy. So, it will be nice to see him. It will be nice to compete again like old times.鈥�
Debast cleared for World Cup
Center back Zeno Debast, who was absent from the portions of both and training sessions that were open to the media, remains part of the Belgian squad for the World Cup. In a statement released by the team in French, it was determined in consultation with both the technical and medical staffs that Debast will remain part of the roster.
The 22-year-old Debast injured his leg last month while training with Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon and is not expected to be available until later in the tournament. Debast has 26 matches for Belgium and was on the 2022 World Cup roster in Qatar.
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