Kevin De Bruyne has been one of the best playmakers in world soccer for years.

The 31-year-old Belgian will have yet another chance to show his class on the biggest stage at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

De Bruyne, who plays his club soccer for Manchester City, is aiming to score at his third World Cup in succession while leading Belgium to its third straight quarterfinal appearance.

The Belgian star is known most for his remarkable passing ability, but he can also unleash powerful shots from long distance.

This article was produced in partnership with Prada Luna Rossa.

Top Club Highlights

De Bruyne's accuracy from outside the box was on display in the weeks leading up to the World Cup in the English Premier League with Manchester City.

The Belgian midfielder unleashed a free-kick into the top right corner of the net against Leicester City and finished from distance after one touch versus Brighton & Hove Albion.

De Bruyne has the quality to stun even his world-class teammates at Manchester City, with Erling Haaland left impressed after this assist against Newcastle United.

De Bruyne typically is not a high-volume scorer, but he showed off his scoring class at a rapid rate at the end of the 2021-22 EPL season against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He had four goals in that match, and his strike to seal a hat trick demonstrated his poise and ruthlessness when given a sight of goal.

De Bruyne has been at the heart of Manchester City's success in recent years, which has included four Premier League titles.

Top Belgium Highlights

De Bruyne scored his first World Cup goal in 2014 against the United States in the round of 16. He also provided an assist for Romelu Lukaku to make it 2-0 in extra time, with the Red Devils eventually winning 2-1 to reach the quarterfinals in Brazil.

Four years later, he scored against Brazil in the 2018 quarterfinals to finish off a Belgium counterattack, striking crisply into the bottom right corner from just outside the penalty area. It proved to be the goal that sealed Belgium's passage to the semifinals, where they lost to tournament winners France.

He also distributed two assists in Russia, one in the group stage against Algeria and one in the third-place playoff against England.

The midfielder had one goal and three assists at UEFA Euro 2020. He struck first time from just outside the box to seal a comeback win for Belgium over Denmark in the group stage.

De Bruyne enters Qatar with 25 international goals, the last of which occurred in September against Wales in the Nations League. Three of his last five international tallies have come against the Welsh.

Biggest Strengths

De Bruyne does not appear to have any weaknesses.

He is one of the best passers in all of soccer, and his finishing has improved over the years. His strikes from distance are hard to stop thanks to his power and precision.

De Bruyne has played with some of the finest strikers in the world, and his passing has significantly aided the likes of Haaland, Lukaku, Sergio Agüero and other star strikers.

The Belgian ace can pick apart a team on his own, and that makes him one of the deadliest attacking players headed to the 32-team tournament in Qatar.

World Cup Outlook

The expectations are high for De Bruyne and Belgium in Qatar.

Belgium advanced to the final eight in the 2014 World Cup and won the third-place match in 2018. It also reached the quarterfinal round at the last two Euros.

The Red Devils should top Group F, in which they'll meet Croatia, Canada and Morocco.

De Bruyne may be asked to do even more in attack since Lukaku has been dealing with injuries at Inter Milan throughout the 2022-23 Serie A campaign.

If he plays in every match and Belgium makes it to the final, De Bruyne will earn his 100th cap in what would be the most important game of his illustrious career.