Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen feels Belgium are among the best teams in the world.

Locked with Croatia at the top of their qualifying group, on 16 points from six games, Marc Wilmots' emerging side are not even sure of reaching next summer's showpiece.

But Vertonghen says: "First we must qualify, then we can start thinking about trying to go all the way.

"As a team, we still have a lot of growing to do, but if you look at individual ability, only Spain and Germany are better than us at the moment (in Europe). I think we would back ourselves against anyone else."