Marc Wilmots
| Date of birth | 22 February 1969 |
| Place of birth | Dongelberg |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Weight | 86 kg |
| Height | 1.84 m |
| Position | Midfielder |
Wilmots is Belgium's most experienced player and is their captain and leader in midfield. A perfectly personable character off the pitch, he becomes a fierce competitor in the heat of battle and is well known for arguing with all around him. Having been introduced to the international squad in May 1990, he is a big game player who thrives on responsibility. This was demonstrated when he took the vital penalty in the World Cup Play-Off against the Czech Republic in Prague. He was a Belgian Cup winner in his five years at Standard Liege after leaving Mechelen in 1991. He enjoyed a successful move to Germany when he scored the winning penalty for Schalke 04 in the shoot-out at the end of the 1997 UEFA Cup Final against Internazionale in the San Siro. Wilmots moved on to Bordeaux for £1.5million in July 2000 but returned to Schalke after a disappointing year in France. His 2001/02 season has been badly disrupted by injury, and he underwent a knee operation in March 2002. Wilmots took over the Red Devils captaincy from Lorenzo Staelens after Euro 2000.
Wilmots scored Belgium's first goal in their opening game in the Far East - a 2-2 draw with Japan, and found the net again in their second game - a 1-1 draw with Tunisia.
He maintained his goal-a-game record with the winner in the 3-2 defeat of Russia as Belgium qualified for the second phase.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| KV Mechelen | 01 Jul 1989 | 01 Jul 1991 | |
| Standard Liege | 01 Jul 1991 | 01 Jul 1996 | |
| Schalke 04 | 01 Jul 1996 | 01 Jul 2000 | |
| Bordeaux | 01 Jul 2000 | 01 Jul 2001 | |
| Schalke 04 | 01 Jul 2001 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | Bordeaux | French Championnat | 26 | 4 |
8 |
1
|
|
| 2000-01 | Bordeaux | UEFA Cup | 3 | 2 |
2 |
||
| 2001-02 | Schalke 04 | Bundesliga | 17 | 7 |
6 |
3
|
|
| 2001-02 | Schalke 04 | UEFA Champions League | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 2002-03 | Schalke 04 | Bundesliga | 5 | 5 |
1
|
||
| 2002-03 | Schalke 04 | UEFA Cup | 2 | 1 |
1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
Club matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jul 2000 | Bordeaux v Metz | D | 1-1 | French Championnat | 1 |
| 05 Aug 2000 | Bastia v Bordeaux | L | 2-0 | French Championnat | 2 |
| 12 Aug 2000 | Bordeaux v Troyes | D | 2-2 | French Championnat | 3 |
| 19 Aug 2000 | Saint Etienne v Bordeaux | L | 1-0 | French Championnat | 4 |
| 26 Aug 2000 | Bordeaux v RC Lens | D | 1-1 | French Championnat | 5 |
| 06 Sep 2000 | Nantes v Bordeaux | W | 0-5 | French Championnat | 6 |
| 09 Sep 2000 | Bordeaux v Guingamp | L | 0-2 | French Championnat | 7 |
| 12 Sep 2000 | Lierse SK v Bordeaux | D | 0-0 | UEFA Cup | 1st round 1st leg |
| 16 Sep 2000 | Olympique Marseille v Bordeaux | W | 0-1 | French Championnat | 8 |
| 23 Sep 2000 | Bordeaux v Toulouse | W | 2-1 | French Championnat | 9 |
| 26 Sep 2000 | Bordeaux v Lierse SK | W |
5-1 Agg: 5-1 |
UEFA Cup | 1st round 2nd leg |
| 30 Sep 2000 | AS Monaco v Bordeaux | D | 2-2 | French Championnat | 10 |
| 15 Oct 2000 | Auxerre v Bordeaux | W | 0-2 | French Championnat | 11 |
| 21 Oct 2000 | Bordeaux v Olympique Lyonnais | D | 1-1 | French Championnat | 12 |
| 04 Nov 2000 | Bordeaux v Lille | W | 1-0 | French Championnat | 14 |
| 19 Nov 2000 | Bordeaux v Rennes | W | 3-0 | French Championnat | 16 |
| 23 Nov 2000 | Bordeaux v Werder Bremen | W | 4-1 | UEFA Cup | 3rd round 1st leg |
| 26 Nov 2000 | Sedan v Bordeaux | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 17 |
| 29 Nov 2000 | Bordeaux v Bastia | D | 0-0 | French Championnat | 18 |
| 03 Dec 2000 | Troyes v Bordeaux | L | 1-0 | French Championnat | 19 |
| 07 Dec 2000 | Werder Bremen v Bordeaux | D |
0-0 Agg: 1-4 |
UEFA Cup | 3rd round 2nd leg |
| 10 Dec 2000 | Bordeaux v Saint-Étienne | W | 2-1 | French Championnat | 20 |
| 16 Dec 2000 | RC Lens v Bordeaux | D | 2-2 | French Championnat | 21 |
| 21 Dec 2000 | Bordeaux v Nantes | L | 0-2 | French Championnat | 22 |
| 13 Jan 2001 | Guingamp v Bordeaux | D | 1-1 | French Championnat | 23 |
| 26 Jan 2001 | Bordeaux v Olympique Marseille | W | 3-0 | French Championnat | 24 |
| 03 Feb 2001 | Toulouse v Bordeaux | D | 1-1 | French Championnat | 25 |
| 07 Feb 2001 | Bordeaux v AS Monaco | W | 2-1 | French Championnat | 26 |
| 15 Feb 2001 | Rayo Vallecano v Bordeaux | L | 4-1 | UEFA Cup | 4th round 1st leg |
| 18 Feb 2001 | Bordeaux v Auxerre | W | 1-0 | French Championnat | 27 |
| 03 Mar 2001 | Olympique Lyonnais v Bordeaux | L | 2-1 | French Championnat | 28 |
| 06 Apr 2001 | Lille v Bordeaux | D | 2-2 | French Championnat | 30 |
| 14 Apr 2001 | Bordeaux v Strasbourg | W | 2-1 | French Championnat | 31 |
| 12 May 2001 | Bordeaux v Sedan | D | 2-2 | French Championnat | 33 |
| 19 May 2001 | Metz v Bordeaux | L | 2-0 | French Championnat | 34 |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987-88 | Belgium | Under-21 | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1988-89 | Belgium | UEFA Under-21 | 3 | 3 |
|||
| 1989-90 | Belgium | International Friendly | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1989-90 | Belgium | UEFA Under-21 | 2 | 1 |
|||
| 1990-91 | Belgium | International Friendly | 2 |
||||
| 1990-91 | Belgium | UEFA European Championship | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 1991-92 | Belgium | FIFA World Cup | 1 | 1 |
3 |
||
| 1991-92 | Belgium | International Friendly | 1 | 2 |
1 |
||
| 1991-92 | Belgium | UEFA European Championship | 1 | ||||
| 1992-93 | Belgium | FIFA World Cup | 1 | 3 |
2 |
||
| 1993-94 | Belgium | FIFA World Cup | 2 | ||||
| 1993-94 | Belgium | International Friendly | 1 | 3 |
2 |
||
| 1996-97 | Belgium | FIFA World Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1996-97 | Belgium | International Friendly | 1 | ||||
| 1997-98 | Belgium | FIFA World Cup | 5 | 3 |
|||
| 1997-98 | Belgium | International Friendly | 5 | 2 |
|||
| 1997-98 | Belgium | King Hassan II Cup | 1 | ||||
| 1998-99 | Belgium | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Belgium | International Friendly | 7 | 4 |
1
|
||
| 1999-00 | Belgium | UEFA European Championship | 3 |
1
|
|||
| 2000-01 | Belgium | FIFA World Cup | 6 | 7 |
|||
| 2000-01 | Belgium | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Belgium | FIFA World Cup | 6 | 1 |
4 |
||
| 2001-02 | Belgium | International Friendly | 6 | 1 |
Please note: Career stats are based on performances in the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.
International matches
| Date | Match | Result | Competition | Round | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04 Jun 1988 | Denmark v Belgium | L | 2-1 | Under-21 | |
| 15 Nov 1988 | Czechoslovakia v Belgium | W | 0-3 | UEFA U21 | Group 7 |
| 14 Feb 1989 | Portugal v Belgium | D | 1-1 | UEFA U21 | Group 7 |
| 29 Apr 1989 | Belgium v Czechoslovakia | D | 1-1 | UEFA U21 | Group 7 |
| 05 Sep 1989 | Belgium v Portugal | D | 1-1 | UEFA U21 | Group 7 |
| 24 Oct 1989 | Belgium v Luxembourg | W | 1-0 | UEFA U21 | Group 7 |
| 26 May 1990 | Belgium v Romania | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 1990 | Belgium v Mexico | W | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 12 Sep 1990 | Belgium v East Germany | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Oct 1990 | Wales v Belgium | L | 3-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 5 |
| 12 Feb 1991 | Italy v Belgium | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 27 Feb 1991 | Belgium v Luxembourg | W | 3-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 5 |
| 27 Mar 1991 | Belgium v Wales | D | 1-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 5 |
| 01 May 1991 | Germany v Belgium | L | 1-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 5 |
| 09 Oct 1991 | Hungary v Belgium | W | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 20 Nov 1991 | Belgium v Germany | L | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 5 |
| 26 Feb 1992 | Tunisia v Belgium | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 25 Mar 1992 | France v Belgium | D | 3-3 | International Friendly | |
| 22 Apr 1992 | Belgium v Cyprus | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 03 Jun 1992 | Faroe Islands v Belgium | W | 0-3 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 02 Sep 1992 | Czechoslovakia v Belgium | W | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 14 Oct 1992 | Belgium v Romania | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 18 Nov 1992 | Belgium v Wales | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 22 May 1993 | Belgium v Faroe Islands | W | 3-0 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 06 Oct 1993 | Belgium v Gabon | W | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 13 Oct 1993 | Romania v Belgium | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Group 4 |
| 16 Feb 1994 | Malta v Belgium | L | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Jun 1994 | Belgium v Zambia | W | 9-0 | International Friendly | |
| 08 Jun 1994 | Belgium v Hungary | W | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Jun 1994 | Belgium v Saudi Arabia | L | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group F |
| 14 Dec 1996 | Belgium v Netherlands | L | 0-3 | FIFA World Cup | Group 7 |
| 11 Feb 1997 | Northern Ireland v Belgium | L | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 11 Oct 1997 | Belgium v Wales | W | 3-2 | FIFA World Cup | Group 7 |
| 29 Oct 1997 | Republic of Ireland v Belgium | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | 1st leg play-off |
| 25 Feb 1998 | Belgium v USA | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 25 Mar 1998 | Belgium v Norway | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 22 Apr 1998 | Belgium v Romania | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 27 May 1998 | Belgium v France | L | 0-1 | King Hassan II Cup | |
| 03 Jun 1998 | Belgium v Colombia | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Jun 1998 | Belgium v Paraguay | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 13 Jun 1998 | Netherlands v Belgium | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group E |
| 20 Jun 1998 | Belgium v Mexico | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group E |
| 25 Jun 1998 | Belgium v Korea Republic | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group E |
| 27 Mar 1999 | Belgium v Bulgaria | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 30 Mar 1999 | Belgium v Egypt | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
| 18 Aug 1999 | Belgium v Finland | L | 3-4 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Sep 1999 | Netherlands v Belgium | D | 5-5 | International Friendly | |
| 10 Oct 1999 | England v Belgium | L | 2-1 | International Friendly | |
| 13 Nov 1999 | Italy v Belgium | W | 1-3 | International Friendly | |
| 23 Feb 2000 | Belgium v Portugal | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Mar 2000 | Belgium v Netherlands | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Jun 2000 | Denmark v Belgium | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 10 Jun 2000 | Belgium v Sweden | W | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 14 Jun 2000 | Belgium v Italy | L | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 19 Jun 2000 | Belgium v Turkey | L | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Finals Group B |
| 16 Aug 2000 | Bulgaria v Belgium | W | 1-3 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Sep 2000 | Belgium v Croatia | D | 0-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 07 Oct 2000 | Latvia v Belgium | W | 0-4 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 28 Feb 2001 | Belgium v San Marino | W | 10-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 24 Mar 2001 | Scotland v Belgium | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 25 Apr 2001 | Czech Republic v Belgium | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 02 Jun 2001 | Belgium v Latvia | W | 3-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 06 Jun 2001 | San Marino v Belgium | W | 1-4 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 15 Aug 2001 | Finland v Belgium | L | 4-1 | International Friendly | |
| 05 Sep 2001 | Belgium v Scotland | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 06 Oct 2001 | Croatia v Belgium | L | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 6 |
| 14 Nov 2001 | Czech Republic v Belgium | W | 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe play-off |
| 13 Feb 2002 | Belgium v Norway | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Apr 2002 | Belgium v Slovakia | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 14 May 2002 | Belgium v Algeria | D | 0-0 | International Friendly | |
| 18 May 2002 | France v Belgium | W | 1-2 | International Friendly | |
| 26 May 2002 | Belgium v Costa Rica | W | 1-0 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Jun 2002 | Japan v Belgium | D | 2-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group H |
| 10 Jun 2002 | Tunisia v Belgium | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group H |
| 14 Jun 2002 | Belgium v Russia | W | 3-2 | FIFA World Cup | Finals group H |
| 17 Jun 2002 | Brazil v Belgium | L | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Finals 2nd round |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.