Legendary’, ‘pure class’ and ‘on another level’ are some of the phrases used to describe Kevin De Bruyne this week. The Belgian star has enjoyed one of his best starts to a season since moving to Napoli on a free transfer in the summer, which begs the question: was his departure from Manchester City a year too soon?
The exodus of senior players from Man City over the past year has been well documented, with the likes of Ederson, Jack Grealish, Ilkay Gundogan and Kyle Walker all finding new shores. De Bruyne was also deemed surplus to requirements – despite 16 trophies and over 400 appearances – and the midfielder, despite not wanting to leave, joined Napoli when his contract expired in June.
“I was a little surprised but I have to accept it,” De Bruyne said in April. “To be honest, I still think I can play at this level as I’m proving, but I understand clubs have to make decisions.”
It turns out that the 34-year-old man’s assessment was completely correct.
De Bruyne’s best scoring start
De Bruyne has started the 2025-26 season in scintillating form, culminating in two penalties in Belgium’s 4-2 win over Wales on Monday night. He has 11 goal involvements (3 assists and 8 goals) in 12 appearances for club and country so far.
This is the highest scoring start to a season of his career, and only twice before has he had more goal involvements after his opening 12 games, in 2023-24 and 2019-20.
The Belgian superstar also seems to have settled into life in Serie A smoothly. Although he has yet to register an assist in his new league, he is the joint-second highest chance creator among midfielders. His three goals are only bettered by AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic and Bologna’s Riccardo Orsolini (both four), and only a handful of midfielders have had more shots on target.
Manchester City, meanwhile, have made a strong but unspectacular start to the season, with six wins, two draws and two defeats from their opening 10 games. One of those victories came against De Bruyne’s Napoli at the Etihad, and his much-anticipated return lasted just 26 minutes before teammate Giovanni di Lorenzo was sent off. But despite that disappointment, De Bruyne’s start to the 2025-26 campaign suggests he can still be a key figure in Pep Guardiola’s side. When compared to City’s current midfielders and wingers, only compatriot Jeremy Doku has comparable goals and assists figures.
De Bruyne also appears to be back to his best, after struggling with injuries towards the end of his Premier League career. He made just 34 Premier League appearances in his final two seasons at Man City, but has started five of Napoli’s six Serie A games, and came off the bench in the other. “I feel good,” he said of his start in Italy. “I’m playing a lot and I’m in good shape.”
Leading Belgium to another World Cup
De Bruyne has represented Belgium at three World Cups and is one of the last remaining members of his country’s highly-regarded ‘golden generation’. “We are lucky to have a player like Kevin,” former Belgium and current Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said in 2022. “In my opinion, at the moment, he is the most incredible playmaker in world football.” However, Belgium have gone through two head coaches since Martinez and De Bruyne was stripped of the captaincy at the start of September by his latest boss, Rudi Garcia – a position he had held since March 2023.
Manager Garcia has chosen Aston Villa midfielder Youri Tielemans as his new captain, adding that he is “a bridge between the golden generation and the younger players”. The 34-year-old De Bruyne has accepted the decision and responded in typical fashion, scoring five goals in Garcia’s first four games. His double against Wales has taken the Red Devils to the top of their World Cup knockout group and one step away from a fourth successive World Cup.
De Bruyne will celebrate his 35th birthday in the middle of next summer’s major soccer event in North America, and he shows no signs of slowing down.
