Entire World Cup pre-selection known: no Stroeykens after all

GAMES Het Nieuwsblad has been able to lay hands on the complete pre-selection of 55 players that Roberto Martinez had put together for the World Cup. Including four Anderlecht players who did not make the World Cup. Not on the list: Hendrik Van Crombrugge and Mario Stroeykens.


Hannes Delcroix, Yari Verschaeren, Francis Amuzu and Julian Duranville. These are the four Anderlecht players who were also in the pre-selection, but did not make the World Cup. As a reminder, Jan Vertonghen and Zeno Debast were there in Qatar.

In the run-up to the World Cup, names of players who would or would not be in the pre-selection were regularly leaked. Stroeykens' name was also mentioned at one point (because Martinez had said in an interview that he was keeping an eye on him, ed.). The names of Stroeykens and Amuzu caused a lot of criticism as if Anderlecht would be favored. The fact that Anderlecht plays with many more (young) Belgians and that, moreover, they have profiles that are thin on the ground was/is conveniently forgotten.

Below is the complete list of players who were in the pre-selection but did not make the final World Cup selection (and reserve list):

Goalkeepers: Matz Sels (Strasbourg), Thomas Kaminski (Blackburn)

Defenders: Koni De Winter (Empoli), Maxime De Cuyper (Westerlo), Siebe Van der Heyden (Union), Sebastiaan Bornauw (Wolfsburg), Dedryck Boyata (Club Brugge), Hannes Delcroix (Anderlecht), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge)

Midfielders: Alessio Castro-Montes (AA Gent), Aster Vranckx (AC Milan), Romeo Lavia (Southampton), Orel Mangala (Nottingham Forest), Dennis Praet (Leicester), Nacer Chadli (Westerlo), Thomas Foket (Reims), Albert Sambi Lokonga (Arsenal)

Strikers: Christian Benteke (DC United), Divock Origi (AC Milan), Julien Duranville (Anderlecht), Francis Amuzu (Anderlecht), Dante Vanzeir (Union), Yari Verschaeren (Anderlecht), Adnan Januzaj (Sevilla)