Anderlecht risks missing De Cat due to U17 World Cup
WEDNESDAY, 1 OCTOBER 2025, 09:39 - lajoya
YOUTH The U17 World Cup will take place in Qatar in November, with Belgium among the participants. Nathan De Cat is a key player in the Belgian U17 team and, according to Het Laatste Nieuws, is eager to participate in this tournament. Anderlecht, however, is much less enthusiastic, according to the newspaper.
At the U17 European Championship in May, Belgium reached the semi-finals. This qualified them for the World Cup. De Cat made it into the "team of the tournament" at that time. It goes without saying that national coach Bob Browaeys is therefore eager to take him to the World Cup. Het Laatste Nieuws heard from the player's entourage that De Cat himself also wants to go. It's a matter of completing the cycle with the national U17 team.
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Continue reading Anderlecht would rather not see De Cat travel. According to Het Laatste Nieuws, the club is concerned about the physical strain such a tournament will place on his young body. The fact that De Cat is currently a key player in the purple-and-white midfield will naturally also play a role. Clubs are not obligated to release their players for youth tournaments, nor do they receive any compensation.
Het Laatste Nieuws has learned from sources within the club that no decision has yet been made and that a meeting with De Cat will take place.
If De Cat goes, he will miss the league matches against KV Mechelen (November 1) and Club Brugge (November 9). The international break will follow. If the young Red Devils advance, he may also miss the matches against La Louvière (November 23) and Union (November 30). For the latter, they will need to reach the final, which will take place on November 27.
De Cat was the only Anderlecht player in Belgium's European Championship squad in May.
"Don't deprive young players of this"
De Cat's story is reminiscent of those of Ali Maamar and Anas Tajaouart. Both are currently playing for Morocco at the U20 World Cup. Even though Anderlecht was short on right-backs, the club still allowed Maamar to participate. "These are important moments in the careers of young players. We don't want to deprive them of that," said Besnik Hasi after the match against Gent last week.
