Kevin De Bruyne is not playing because recent reports point to an injury setback, with Napoli sources saying he suffered a serious thigh injury and began rehab after scans confirmed the issue. More recent match coverage also shows he has been on the field again for Belgium, so the answer depends on which game you mean.

What’s going on

  • The clearest reported reason for him missing time is the thigh injury described in late 2025 coverage.
  • That injury was severe enough that it was expected to keep him out for a significant stretch.
  • By mid-2026, match reports show him active for Belgium and contributing in games, which suggests he is not universally unavailable now.

Most likely explanation

If you saw him absent from a specific lineup, it was probably due to:

  • injury management,
  • coach rotation,
  • or a tactical decision for that match.

Quick context

A report about Belgium’s World Cup round-of-16 match said De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, and Romelu Lukaku were not in the starting XI, which was presented as a coaching choice rather than a new injury report. Another player page update later in 2026 shows De Bruyne scoring and starting in other Belgium matches, reinforcing that his availability has varied by game.

TL;DR: he was sidelined at one point mainly because of a thigh injury, but more recent reports show he has returned and is playing in some matches.