The arguably best WC qualifying group in history

1982 World Cup qualification – UEFA Group 2

             w d l goals pt      att

Belgium      5 1 2 12-9  11   41.703

France       5 0 3 20-8  10   45.195

Ireland      4 2 2 17-11 10   34.914

Netherlands  4 1 3 11-7   9   43.243

Cyprus       0 0 8  4-29  0    7.450

5 goals:

Erwin Vandenbergh (Bel), Michel Platini (Fra) 

4 goals:

Jan Ceulemans (Bel)

3 goals:

Gerry Daly, Michael Robinson, Frank Stapleton (Irl), Bernard Lacombe, Didier Six (Fra) 

2 goals:

Jean-François Larios, Gerard Soler, Jacques Zimako (Fra), Tony Grealish, Mark Lawrenson, Paul McGee (Irl), Arnold Mühren, Kees van Kooten (Ned) 

Belgium ratings in the 1986 World Cup

 

Ratings: Guerin Sportivo - El Mundo Deportivo - El Gráfico.

6,68 Jean-Marie Pfaff
6,53 Jan Ceulemans
6,44 Patrick Vervoort
6,38 Eric Gerets
6,17 Franky Vercauteren
6,16 René Vandereycken
6,14  Nico Claesen
6,13 Enzo Scifo
6,10 Georges Grün
6,09 Michel Renquin
5,92 Stéphane Demol
5,81 Daniel Veyt
5,76 Hugo Broos
5,65 Franky Van Der Elst
5,61 Michel de Wolf
5,52 Philippe Desmet

Belgium all-time Best XI

 According to Guerin Sportivo (1994).

Jean-Marie Pfaff
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Walter Meeuws
Louis Carré
Eric Gerets
Fons Van Brandt
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Wilfried Van Moer
Vic Mees
Paul Van Himst -photo-
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Jef Mermans
Raymond Braine
Jan Ceulemans

Belgium ratings in the 1986 World Cup

Ratings: Guerin Sportivo - La Stampa - France Football - El Mundo Deportivo.

6,68 Jean-Marie Pfaff
6,58 Jan Ceulemans
6,37 Eric Gerets
6,35 Patrick Vervoort
6,25 Franky Vercauteren
6,12 Enzo Scifo, Georges Grün
6,09 Nico Claesen
6,05 Michel Renquin
5,98 Stéphane Demol
5,83 Daniel Veyt
5,69 Franky Van Der Elst

Two rated appareances: 6,38 René Vandereycken, 5,74 Hugo Broos, 5,72 Philippe Desmet, 5,64 Michel de Wolf

Memory Lane: topscorers 1980-81 World Cup qualifiers Europe.

9: Kh. Rummenigge (West Germany)
7: Fischer (West Germany), Zlatko Vujović (Yugoslavia) 
6: Arnesen (Denmark)
5: Kaltz (West Germany), Platini (France), Vandenbergh (Belgium), Blokhin (Soviet Union), Smolarek (Poland), Kouis (Greece)
4: Slavkov (Bulgaria), Welzl (Austria), Ceulemans (Belgium), Shengelia (Soviet Union)
3: Schachner & Krankl (Austria), Littbarski (West Germany), Daley, Robinson & Stapleton (Ireland), Lacombe & Six (France), Andreyev (Soviet Union), Walsh (Wales), Nehoda & Kozák (Czechoslovakia), McDermott & Mariner (England), Fazekas & L. Kiss (Hungary), Sulser (Switzerland), J. Robertson (Scotland), Jordão (Portugal), Tabak (Israel), Streich (GDR), Halilhodžić (Yugoslavia), Elkjær (Denmark), Graziani (Italy)
2: Kostadinov (Bulgaria), Jara & Prohaska (Austria), Schuster & Breitner (West Germany), Lawrenson & Grealish (Ireland), A. Mühren & Van Kooten (Holland), Larios, Zimako & Soler (France), Sigurvinsson (Iceland), Gavrilov & Oganesian (Soviet Union), Giles, Flynn & L. James (Wales), Janecka & Vízek (Czechoslovakia), Woodcock & Brooking (England), Iordanescu (Romania), Hareide & Thoresen (Norway), Nyilasi & Balint (Hungary), Barberis (Switzerland), Humberto Coelho & Manuel Fernandes (Portugal), G. Armstrong (Northern Ireland), Damti (Israel), Schnuphase (GDR), Petrovic, Pantelic & Šurjak (Yugoslavia), Collovati, Bettega & Conti (Italy), Kostikos & Mavros (Greece)

In bold text: players scoring at least three goals in the 1982 World Cup.