FIFA Men's World Cup: Belgium making itself at home at Sounders HQ
RENTON - Seated at the stage assembled in the atrium of the Providence Swedish Performance Center & Clubhouse, Alexis Saelemaekers admitted his body hasn't adapted to a new continent quite yet.
"It hasn't been easy to adjust to the time difference," Saelemaekers, the Belgian winger with 24 appearances for his country, said in French.
On Wednesday morning, the Belgium national team hosted its first media availability in the United States for the FIFA Men's World Cup. Coach Rudi Garcia's team arrived in Renton on Monday and did a training session on Tuesday before Saelemaekers and defender Koni De Winter spoke Wednesday.
While players are still settling into their new surroundings and the nine-hour time difference between Seattle and their home country, Saelemaekers credited the high-quality training facilities - borrowed from the Sounders - for helping ensure Belgium is physically prepared for its World Cup opening game against Egypt on Monday at Seattle Stadium.
"We have good facilities to get that sorted out as quickly as possible," said Saelemaekers, who won a Serie A championship in Italy with AC Milan in 2021-22. "We'll be fresh."
Saelemaekers isn't the only member of the Belgian entourage in Seattle who has been impressed by the Sounders practice facility. In a video posted on wingback Diego Moreira's social media accounts on Tuesday, midfielder Amadou Onana called the fields at the training complex smooth as a billiards table before saying his favorite place was the cafeteria.
The Sounders opened their practice facility in February, 2024. The complex features four full-size practice fields - two with natural grass and two with artificial turf - and also houses all of the team's soccer operations. Belgium hosted a large contingent of fans at the Sounders' facility for their practice in Renton on Wednesday.
We feel that the country is behind us," 23-year-old center back Koni De Winter, who is also teammates with Saelemaekers at AC Milan, said in French. "It's positive and good for the atmosphere in our group."
A massive time change isn't the only adjustment Belgium's star-studded roster is adjusting to in the United States. Monday's game may be played in 91-degree heat as Seattle experiences its first heat wave of the summer.
High temperatures have been a worry for teams - particularly those from Europe - for the past several weeks. Back in December, FIFA announced every World Cup game will have three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half.
FIFA initially introduced hydration breaks, called cooling breaks at the time, during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, though the first stoppage didn't occur until the Round-of-16 match between The Netherlands and Mexico and were only enacted at the referee's discretion. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar largely avoided cooling breaks because the tournament was moved from its normal summer schedule to a winter window.
Some players got firsthand experience with the United States' hot summer climate during the 2025 Club World Cup. Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who won the tournament with Chelsea, called the playing conditions "very dangerous" and described feeling extremely dizzy during games in July, 2025.
Saelemaekers and De Winter said high temperatures won't be an excuse for a Belgian squad that is looking to rebound from its disappointing performance in the 2022 World Cup, where it was knocked out in the group stage by Morocco and Croatia despite entering the tournament as one of the favorites.
"I am not worried about the climate," Saelemaekers said. "It's also very hot in Italy. I'm used to it. We shouldn't concern ourselves with external things like that. The most important thing is our mentality, who we are as ourselves.
Added De Winter: "We just have to accept these conditions. The sun shining, that's never a bad thing."
Note
* Belgium got some good news on Wednesday, too. Jérémy Doku, the Red Devils' star winger who also plays for English club Manchester City, returned to practice after reportedly leaving Tuesday's practice early with breathing issues according to Belgian newspaper HLN.
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