Spain–Belgium in Barcelona: can the Red Devils hand Belgium's expats their dream upset?
As Spain and Belgium prepare to meet in Barcelona, RTBF has found a quietly divided community: Belgians who built their lives in the Catalan capital and now half-guiltily dream of an upset against their adopted home.
In 30 seconds
- RTBF reports that Belgians living in Barcelona are hoping for an upset ('exploit') by Belgium against Spain, their adopted country.
- Spain are the reigning European champions, having won Euro 2024; Belgium is a side in transition since its 2018 World Cup semi-final run.
- The story centres on the Belgian expatriate community in Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain), addressed primarily to a French-speaking Belgian audience.
- EU free movement is the structural backdrop that allows Belgians to live and work in Spain as fellow EU citizens.
A human-interest football story reported by RTBF: Belgians living in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) face a Spain–Belgium fixture in their adopted city and admit to hoping the Belgian national team, the Red Devils, pulls off an upset against Spain, the reigning European champions. Named or identifiable entities: the Belgian men's national football team (Red Devils); the Spanish national team; RTBF (the reporting outlet); the Belgian expatriate community in Barcelona; and, structurally, the European Union's free-movement regime that lets Belgians reside in Spain as fellow EU citizens.
Background
Belgium's men's team reached the 2018 World Cup semi-final and spent long stretches ranked among the world's best during its 'golden generation', but has since entered a rebuild. Spain, meanwhile, won Euro 2024 and re-established itself as a benchmark side. That gap in current standing is precisely what makes a Belgian result an 'exploit'. Underlying the diaspora angle is decades of intra-European mobility that accelerated after the EU's single market and free-movement rules made settling in another member state routine.
What to do
Little that is practical is at stake; the piece is best read as a window into how EU citizens hold two national loyalties at once. Readers wanting to follow the match should confirm the competition, kickoff time and broadcast details against official listings.
Impact
Regional — The story is anchored in Barcelona and Catalonia, where the Belgian community described by RTBF lives, but its emotional resonance runs back to French-speaking Belgium in particular, the primary audience RTBF addresses.
EvidenceDeveloping · 1 primary source + 1 independent reporting source · Background sources: 1 · some details remain unconfirmedExplore evidence →Hide evidence ↑
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- 5 Aug 2026
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This story was assembled from verified evidence, with its sources and reasoning recorded as it was written.