Mika Godts' omission fuels criticism of Belgium's World Cup squad

Mika Godts, the Ajax forward, was notably absent from Belgium’s squad at the World Cup, a point highlighted after the team’s first two group matches ended in a 1‑1 draw with Egypt and a 0‑0 stalemate with Iran. The omission has been criticised as a missed opportunity. The criticism was voiced on VP’s Studio Oranje, a programme analysing Belgium’s performance at the tournament. The show focuses on the national team’s tactics and player selections during the World Cup. ‘I was also thinking: they should have taken Godts,’ said Kaj Ramsteijn on Studio Oranje. He expressed his view that the forward’s presence could have altered the team’s fortunes.

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Ramsteijn was joined by chief editor Dennie van Laar and former Dutch international Daryl Janmaat, who has earned 34 caps for the Netherlands. The trio discussed the impact of player absences on Belgium’s campaign. Ramsteijn noted that Jérémy Doku was also unavailable for the matches. He questioned who could fill the creative role left by both players.

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He added that Belgium ‘has simply too little quality’ and risked becoming ‘nothing’ without additional firepower. The commentator linked the lack of depth to the draws against Egypt and Iran. The latest episode of Studio Oranje, featuring Daryl Janmaat, is available on Spotify for listeners seeking more analysis. The programme promises further discussion on the World Cup, including topics such as Louis van Gaal versus Ronald Koeman.