Belgium vs Portugal: TV channel, live stream, squad news & preview

Two of the World Cup's dark horses face off in a friendly that will offer plenty of star power in Brussels this weekend

Two potential World Cup dark horses meet in what is sure to be a hotly contested friendly this week, as take on in Brussels.

Roberto Martinez's side boast a plethora of talent, including the likes of duo Kevin De Bruyne and Vincent Kompany, 's Romelu Lukaku and 's Eden Hazard, while Portugal's hopes seem to rely upon the majestic talent of 's Cristiano Ronaldo.

Portugal will also take on before the World Cup gets underway later this month, while Belgium have two further friendlies, against and .

The Red Devils have been drawn into a group with , and , while Ronaldo and Co. will take on , and .

Game Belgium vs Portugal Date Saturday, June 2 Time 19:45 BST / 14:45 ET

TV Channel, Live Stream & How To Watch

In the United States (US) , the game can be watched on ESPN Deportes+, ESPN Deportes and ESPN3. It can be streamed through Directv.

US TV channel Online stream ESPN Deportes Directtv

In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on Manchester United's official club television channel, MUTV, and the online MUTV app.

UK TV channel Online stream MUTV mutv.manutd.com

Squads & Team News

Position Belgium players Goalkeepers Casteels, Courtois, Mignolet, Sels Defenders Alderweireld, Boyata, Ciman, Kabasele, Kompany, J. Lukaku, Meunier, Vermaelen, Vertonghen Midfielders De Bruyne, Chadli, Dembele, Dendoncker, Fellaini, Tielemans, Witsel Forwards Batshuayi, Benteke, Carrasco, E. Hazard, T. Hazard, Januzaj, R. Lukaku, Mertens



Roberto Martinez must whittle his 28-man squad down to 23 by June 4, but is unlikely to be too experimental against such strong opposition.

As such, the likes of Premier League stalwarts Thibaut Courtois, De Bruyne, Hazard and Jan Vertonghen are all likely to feature.

It remains to be seen, however, if Toby Alderweireld will be deployed in defence after struggling for game time at during the latter part of the season.

Potential Belgium starting XI: Courtois; Meunier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, J. Lukaku; De Bruyne, Witsel, Dembele; Mertens, R. Lukaku, E. Hazard

Position Portugal players Goalkeepers Lopes, Beto, Rui Patricio Defenders Alves, Cedric, Fonte, Mario Rui, Pepe, Guerreiro, Pereira, Ruben Dias Midfielders Adrien Silva, B Fernandes, Mario, Moutinho, M Fernandes, Carvalho Forwards Andre Silva, Bernardo Silva, Ronaldo, Martins, Guedes, Quaresma

Portugal are likely to head into the World Cup with a 4-4-2 formation, with Andre Silva set to partner Cristiano Ronaldo up front.

Elsewhere, there is likely to be a battle between Anthony Lopes and Rui Patricio to start in goal, while an ageing defence - Bruno Alves is 36 and Pepe 35 - could ultimately prove to be an Achilles' heel.

Potential Portugal starting XI: Rui Patricio; Pereira, Pepe, Alves, Guerreiro; B. Silva, Moutinho, Carvalho, Guedes; A. Silva, Ronaldo

Betting & Match Odds

Belgium are favourites to win the match with dabblebet pricing them at evens. Portugal are rated 11/4 to beat the Red Devils and a draw is available at 9/4.

Click here to see all of dabblebet's offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.

Match Preview

Both Belgium and Portugal head into the World Cup full of hope, but also wary of key weaknesses within their ranks.

Roberto Martinez has a star-studded squad at his disposal - the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard would walk into any other national team in the world - but they have flattered to deceive at major tournaments, and this would appear to be the last hurrah of a supposed Golden Generation.

Portugal, meanwhile, have Cristiano Ronaldo, and also surprised many with their Euro 2016 victory just two years ago. However, a reliance on ageing stars and a lack of strength in depth means they will have to lean heavily on the Real Madrid megastar.

Thus this friendly offers a key opportunity for both sides to measure their progress heading into . Both sides are in groups that they will expect to qualify from, with England offering the only challenge to top spot for the Red Devils, and Spain doing the same for Portugal.

Yet the likes of , , and La Roja have far deeper squads than these two sides, and they must be placed alongside the Three Lions, and in a 'dark horses' pot.

A victory here for either side would prove impactful, though it is Belgium who have form on their side. They won their qualifying group at a canter - winning nine and drawing one of their 10 qualifiers - while Portugal topped theirs through goal difference, having finished level on points with .