Marc Wilmots has lost his job as Belgium boss after their failure to get beyond the quarter-finals at Euro 2016.
Wilmots was forced to defend his tactics during an erratic campaign in France that eventually ended with a 3-1 defeat to Wales in the last eight.
And a statement from the Belgian FA confirmed the 51-year-old, who succeeded George Leekens in 2012 and oversaw Belgium's rise to No 1 in the world in November 2015, will be replaced ahead of World Cup qualifying.
The statement read: "The Royal Belgian Football Association have made an agreement with Marc Wilmots to end his contract, that lasted until 2018. We would like to thank Marc Wilmots for his work during the last four years.
"With Marc Wilmots as a head coach, the Red Devils have climbed from the 54th position to the top of the FIFA World Ranking. He managed to win 34 games out of 51, including eight draws. Above all, the fans have reinstalled their love for the Belgian Red Devils during this period.
"The RBFA's Technical Commission have made an evaluation of the recent UEFA Euro 2016 and have declared that the intended goals have not been reached. There is a common sense that the team needs a new impulse to lead this group towards a top result at a major tournament.
"The Belgian FA will immediately start the procedure to find a new head coach, in a transparent way. The idea is to start the upcoming games in September with a new coach."
Belgium - currently ranked No 2 - host Spain in a friendly on September 1 before their World Cup campaign begins away at Cyprus on September 6.