Mike Penders called up to Belgian national team for Nations League matches against Italy, France, and Turkey

Mike Penders is getting his shot. The 21-year-old goalkeeper, born on July 31, 2005, has been named in Belgium’s senior national team squad for the first time, as head coach Mark van Bommel looks to reshape the Red Devils ahead of a demanding UEFA Nations League stretch. Van Bommel announced a 28-man squad on September 18, 2026, featuring eight players new to the senior setup since Belgium’s World Cup 2026 campaign. Penders is among them, alongside fellow uncapped goalkeepers Jari De Busser and Maarten Vandevoordt, and 21-year-old full-back Kyriani Sabbe. Why now, and why Penders The short answer: Thibaut Courtois is sitting this one out. Belgium’s first-choice goalkeeper opted not to join the squad in order to manage his workload, creating an opening that three uncapped ‘keepers will compete to fill. Penders appeared on the bench during a World Cup qualifier in November 2025, accumulated youth international experience across Belgium’s U17 through U21 programs, and has been on the radar of the national coaching staff for some time. Penders joined Chelsea from Genk in 2025, a move that underlined the level of expectation surrounding him. Rather than sitting behind the first team at ...