Kevin De Bruyne confirmed his fitness ahead of Belgium's World Cup campaign, stating he feels 'pretty good considering everything that happened' following his recovery from a hamstring injury. The midfielder was sidelined for four to five months, limiting him to just 18 league appearances for Napoli during the 2025-26 Serie A season.
De Bruyne discussed the tactical differences between Serie A and the Premier League. He adapted to a different style of play in Italy after spending a decade at Manchester City, where he won six Premier League titles and the 2022-23 Champions League.
Belgium will face Egypt in their opening World Cup group match. De Bruyne will reunite against Mohamed Salah, his former Premier League rival from their 10 years competing in England. De Bruyne described the matchup as 'nice to see him again' and 'nice to compete again like old times.'
De Bruyne's confirmed fitness status removes key uncertainty from Belgium's squad and may stabilize market odds on the team's World Cup advancement potential.
→ Next match preview: Belgium — Egypt