Hans Vanaken

Club

As of match played 4 September 2026

International

As of match played 10 July 2026

As of match played 6 July 2026 Scores and results list Belgium's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Vanaken goal.

Standing at 1.95m tall, Vanaken is an imposing presence on the pitch. Praised for his vision and intelligence, he is a ball-retaining midfielder who can score, too. Pep Guardiola, Vincent Kompany, and Hansi Flick have all described Vanaken as a great player. Former Belgian international, Radja Nainggolan has called Vanaken "The most intelligent player he has ever seen on the Belgian fields". Vanaken also has great passing ability. He is renowned for his ability to make passes under high pressure. His combination of vision, intelligence and a "wand of a left foot", make of Vanaken a key player for Club Brugge. He is the orchestrator of the team, often dictating the pace.

Early career

Vanaken began his career at the youth team of Lommel United before leaving the club to join the PSV Eindhoven academy in 2002 when the former declared bankruptcy. He returned to a revamped Lommel in 2008 and made his senior debut for the club in the Belgian Second Division in 2010. He caught the eye of a number of top division clubs after a string of standout performances for Lommel and joined Lokeren in 2013. He made top flight debut for Lokeren on 28 July 2013, when he scored two goals in a 3–2 win against defending champions Anderlecht. Vanaken was instrumental in Lokeren's run to the final of the 2013–14 Belgian Cup, playing in six of their seven matches and scoring one goal as his side edged out Zulte Waregem for the title. Vanaken further excelled in his second season in the top flight, scoring eight league goals and finishing third in the voting for the Belgian Golden Shoe award.

Club Brugge

It was announced in May 2015 that Lokeren had reached an agreement with Club Brugge over the transfer of Vanaken to the latter with the player signing a five-year deal subject to a medical. His maiden season at Club Brugge came with a spot in the starting line-up, where he proved instrumental in helping the club lift their 14th league championship. In 2018, Vanaken scored 21 goals and provided a further 21 assists as he helped his team to its 15th league title and the Belgian Supercup. On 16 January 2019, Vanaken won the Belgian Golden Shoe award…

Vanaken made his debut for the Belgium national team on 7 September 2018, replacing Eden Hazard in a 4–0 victory against Scotland at Hampden Park. He scored his first two goals for Belgium on 30 March 2021, coming in an 8–0 win over Belarus in qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. On 17 May 2021, Vanaken was one of two Belgium-based players to be selected for the final 26-man squad for the UEFA Euro 2020, along with club teammate Simon Mignolet. Vanaken was named in Belgium's squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In May 2026, he was selected in the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He scored his first World Cup goal in a 4–1 Round of 16 victory over hosts the United States, finding the net from 31.1 metres (102 ft) after capitalizing on an error by goalkeeper Matt Freese. At 33 years and 316 days old, he also became the second-oldest Belgian player to score at a World Cup, behind only Kevin De Bruyne, who had set the record earlier in the tournament.