Wesley Sonck
| Date of birth | 09 August 1978 |
| Place of birth | Ninove |
| Nationality | Belgian |
| Weight | 73 kg |
| Height | 1.72 m |
| Position | Forward |
A name to make a note of, Wesley is key to Belgium's injury ravaged attacking options in Japan and South Korea. With 29 goals, the young striker has guided RC Genk to their Jupiler Championship success in 2001/02 and has been named Belgium' Footballer of the Year. Like previous winners Par Zetterberg, Branko Strupar, Lorenzo Staelens and Jan Koller before him, he is now lined up for a move abroad so many leading European clubs will be tracking his performances in the Far East. Formerly with RWD Molenbeek and Germinal Beerschot, Wesley joined Genk in July 2000. He scored 13 goals in his first season there to earn his first international call up in May 2001. He netted his first goal for Belgium the following month against San Marino.
Wesley opened his World Cup finals account with a vital goal in the 3-2 defeat of Russia in the last Group H game in Shizuoka to clinch Belgium's qualification for the last 16.
Club history
| Team | Joined | Left | Loan / Trialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| RC Genk | 01 Jul 2000 |
Club stats
| Season | Team | Competition | Apps | Subs | Goals | Y | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000-01 | RC Genk | Jupiler League | 29 | 3 |
13 |
3
|
1
|
| 2000-01 | RC Genk | UEFA Cup | 2 | 2 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2001-02 | RC Genk | Jupiler League | 17 | 21 |
2
|
1
|
|
| 2002-03 | RC Genk | UEFA Champions League | 4 | 1 |
1
|
||
| 2003-04 | Ajax | UEFA Champions League | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2004-05 | Borussia Monchengladbach | Bundesliga | 6 | 1 |
2 |
3
|
|
| 2005-06 | Borussia Monchengladbach | Bundesliga | 10 | 4 |
4 |
1
|
|
| 2006-07 | Borussia Monchengladbach | Bundesliga | 3 | 4 |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 Sep 2003 | AC Milan v Ajax | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group H |
| 22 Oct 2003 | Ajax v Celta Vigo | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group H |
| 04 Nov 2003 | Celta Vigo v Ajax | D | 0-0 | UEFA Champions League | Group H |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-97 | Belgium | UEFA Under-18 | 4 |
1 |
1
|
||
| 1997-98 | Belgium | Under-21 | 2 |
||||
| 1998-99 | Belgium | UEFA Under-21 | 1 | 1 |
|||
| 1999-00 | Belgium | B International | 1 | ||||
| 1999-00 | Belgium | UEFA Under-21 | 7 | 7 |
1
|
||
| 2000-01 | Belgium | FIFA World Cup | 2 |
1 |
|||
| 2001-02 | Belgium | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 5 |
1 |
1
|
|
| 2001-02 | Belgium | International Friendly | 4 | 2 |
1 |
||
| 2002-03 | Belgium | International Friendly | 3 | 3 |
1
|
||
| 2002-03 | Belgium | UEFA European Championship | 6 | 3 |
|||
| 2003-04 | Belgium | International Friendly | 3 | 2 |
|||
| 2003-04 | Belgium | UEFA European Championship | 2 | 2 |
|||
| 2004-05 | Belgium | FIFA World Cup | 3 | 1 |
|||
| 2004-05 | Belgium | International Friendly | 1 |
||||
| 2005-06 | Belgium | International Friendly | 2 | 1 |
1 |
||
| 2007-08 | Belgium | International Friendly | 2 |
1 |
|||
| 2007-08 | Belgium | UEFA European Championship | 2 |
1 |
|||
| 2008-09 | Belgium | FIFA World Cup | 6 | 6 |
|||
| 2008-09 | Belgium | International Friendly | 2 | ||||
| 2009-10 | Belgium | FIFA World Cup | 2 |
1
|
|||
| 2009-10 | Belgium | International Friendly | 1 | 2 |
1 |
||
| 2010-11 | Belgium | International Friendly | 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 Sep 1996 | Turkey v Belgium | L | 5-3 | UEFA U18 | Group 6 |
| 18 Sep 1996 | Belgium v Germany | L | 1-2 | UEFA U18 | Group 6 |
| 28 Sep 1996 | Portugal v Belgium | L | 4-2 | UEFA U18 | Group 6 |
| 17 Oct 1996 | Belgium v Portugal | L | 1-3 | UEFA U18 | Group 6 |
| 09 Dec 1997 | Germany v Belgium | D | 0-0 | Under-21 | |
| 21 Apr 1998 | Belgium v Romania | W | 3-2 | Under-21 | |
| 28 Apr 1999 | Belgium v Bosnia-Herzegovina | W | 4-0 | UEFA U21 | Group 9 |
| 17 Aug 1999 | Estonia v Belgium | W | 1-7 | UEFA U21 | Group 9 |
| 03 Sep 1999 | Belgium v Estonia | W | 5-0 | UEFA U21 | Group 9 |
| 07 Sep 1999 | Belgium v Lithuania | W | 3-0 | UEFA U21 | Group 9 |
| 22 Sep 1999 | Bosnia-Herzegovina v Belgium | W | 3-4 | UEFA U21 | Group 9 |
| 08 Oct 1999 | Czech Republic v Belgium | W | 1-3 | UEFA U21 | Group 9 |
| 13 Nov 1999 | Netherlands v Belgium | D | 2-2 | UEFA U21 | Quarter-final |
| 17 Nov 1999 | Belgium v Netherlands | L | 0-2 | UEFA U21 | Quarter-final |
| 22 Feb 2000 | Belgium v France | D | 1-1 | B INTER | |
| 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 |
| 10 Nov 2001 | Belgium v Czech Republic | W | 1-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe play-off |
| 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 | |
| 27 Mar 2002 | Greece v Belgium | L | 3-2 | 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 | |
| 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 |
| 21 Aug 2002 | Poland v Belgium | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Sep 2002 | Belgium v Bulgaria | L | 0-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 12 Oct 2002 | Andorra v Belgium | W | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 16 Oct 2002 | Estonia v Belgium | W | 0-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 12 Feb 2003 | Algeria v Belgium | W | 1-3 | International Friendly | |
| 29 Mar 2003 | Croatia v Belgium | L | 4-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 30 Apr 2003 | Belgium v Poland | W | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 07 Jun 2003 | Bulgaria v Belgium | D | 2-2 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 11 Jun 2003 | Belgium v Andorra | W | 3-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 20 Aug 2003 | Belgium v Netherlands | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 10 Sep 2003 | Belgium v Croatia | W | 2-1 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 11 Oct 2003 | Belgium v Estonia | W | 2-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group 8 |
| 18 Feb 2004 | Belgium v France | L | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Apr 2004 | Belgium v Turkey | L | 2-3 | International Friendly | |
| 18 Aug 2004 | Norway v Belgium | D | 2-2 | International Friendly | |
| 04 Sep 2004 | Belgium v Lithuania | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 09 Oct 2004 | Spain v Belgium | L | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 17 Nov 2004 | Belgium v Serbia and Montenegro | L | 0-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 7 |
| 01 Mar 2006 | Luxembourg v Belgium | W | 0-2 | International Friendly | |
| 20 May 2006 | Slovakia v Belgium | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 24 May 2006 | Belgium v Turkey | D | 3-3 | International Friendly | |
| 13 Oct 2007 | Belgium v Finland | D | 0-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 17 Oct 2007 | Belgium v Armenia | W | 3-0 | UEFA European Championship | Group A |
| 26 Mar 2008 | Belgium v Morocco | L | 1-4 | International Friendly | |
| 30 May 2008 | Italy v Belgium | L | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 20 Aug 2008 | Germany v Belgium | L | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 06 Sep 2008 | Belgium v Estonia | W | 3-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 5 |
| 10 Sep 2008 | Turkey v Belgium | D | 1-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 5 |
| 11 Oct 2008 | Belgium v Armenia | W | 2-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 5 |
| 15 Oct 2008 | Belgium v Spain | L | 1-2 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 5 |
| 19 Nov 2008 | Luxembourg v Belgium | D | 1-1 | International Friendly | |
| 28 Mar 2009 | Belgium v Bosnia and Herzegovina | L | 2-4 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 5 |
| 01 Apr 2009 | Bosnia and Herzegovina v Belgium | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 5 |
| 12 Aug 2009 | Czech Republic v Belgium | L | 3-1 | International Friendly | |
| 05 Sep 2009 | Spain v Belgium | L | 5-0 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 5 |
| 09 Sep 2009 | Armenia v Belgium | L | 2-1 | FIFA World Cup | Europe group 5 |
| 14 Nov 2009 | Belgium v Hungary | W | 3-0 | International Friendly | |
| 17 Nov 2009 | Belgium v Qatar | W | 2-0 | International Friendly | |
| 03 Mar 2010 | Belgium v Croatia | L | 0-1 | International Friendly | |
Please note: Match history is complete for the Premier and Football Leagues and (in most cases all) internationals.