Belgium's Red Flames rout Luxembourg 7-0 but miss group win by a single goal, face tougher World Cup path

A dominant but insufficient victory

Belgium's women's national football team, the Red Flames, defeated Luxembourg 7-0 on Tuesday evening in Esch-sur-Alzette in their final League B, Group 4 match of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers. Tessa Wullaert opened the scoring in the 20th minute, followed by two goals from Amber Tysiak (45th, 66th), and further strikes from Marie Detruyer (61st), Hanna Heurlings (82nd, 88th), and Isabelle Iliano (87th). Despite the emphatic scoreline, the result was not enough to secure first place in the group.

Scotland's parallel win seals the group

Playing simultaneously, Scotland defeated Israel 5-1 in Budapest, Hungary. Both Belgium and Scotland finished the group stage with 14 points. The Scots, however, claimed the top spot and promotion to League A by virtue of a superior goal difference: +22 compared to Belgium's +21. The margin of elimination for the Red Flames was a single goal across the entire six-match campaign.

I can assure you I take 100% responsibility. I tried. I felt my players really tried to fight for each other today. They never gave up and they created enough chances to score the goals we needed. We just didn't finish them.

Missed chances and a late surge

On a poor pitch at the Stade de la Frontière, Belgium struggled to convert early dominance into goals. Jill Janssens missed two clear chances, Wullaert hit the crossbar, and Luxembourg even threatened briefly when Laura Miller struck the bar from a corner. The Flames trailed Scotland's pace on goal difference for much of the evening. A brief shift in momentum occurred when Israel scored against Scotland, reducing the deficit Belgium needed to overcome to just two goals, then one. Heurlings and Iliano scored late to bring the tally to seven, but the team fell one goal short of the required margin.

It's a shame, it's sad, it's frustrating, it's disappointing. I think there are a lot of mixed feelings. It's a shame to have a team that is growing and not be able to test it at another level next season.

A tougher road to Brazil 2027

Finishing second means Belgium will not be seeded for the first of two playoff rounds to qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. They risk drawing a stronger opponent, potentially a fourth-placed team from League A or another League B group winner. The tournament, featuring 32 teams including 11 or 12 from Europe, runs from 24 June to 25 July 2027. Coach Elisabet Gunnarsdottir took full responsibility for the lack of cutting edge, while pundit Cécile De Gernier noted the team's growth under the Icelandic coach but stressed the need for more decisiveness and "grinta" in front of goal.