It feels like Belgium’s golden generation is somewhat fading. There was a time when the gloom of the 2000s turned to consistent deep runs under the leadership of manager Roberto Martinez.
Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois, Vincent Kompany, and more all dominated the global scene.
It was best shown by their run to the 2018 World Cup semifinals, where they went through England, Japan, and Brazil before losing to eventual winners France.
They were the team of the tournament, playing the fluid, attacking offense fans desperately craved.
However, it looks like the generation that earned the FIFA Rankings’ #1 spot and forged several deep runs in major tournaments is fading. Vincent Kompany recently signed as Bayern’s new manager.
Eden Hazard retired after a horrible stint at Real Madrid. Courtois, still at Real, is struggling with injury and has been dropped from the Belgian squad for Euro 2024.
Lukaku and De Bruyne are the only players left in this year’s Euros squad, and they’re aging — De Bruyne will turn 33 during the tournament, while Lukaku recently turned 31.
Even worse, this golden generation will also retire without a major trophy.
Despite the positive performances and potential they showed throughout their glimmers of success, Belgium doesn’t have a trophy to its name. Their two quarter-final appearances in 2016 and 2020, along with the third-place finish at Russia are their best finishes in recent memory.
Belgium has some promising players coming down the pipeline. Jeremy Doku and Johan Bakayoko are still under 22 but are some of the best wingers in the world. 19-year-old Arthur Vermeeren is the world’s best-kept secret, while the likes of Amadou Onana, Charles De Ketelaere, and Zeno Debast are all rising youngsters set for big moves in the future.
But, for the most senior members of the national team, particularly Jan Vertonghen (154 caps), Axel Witsel (132), Lukaku (115), and…
Author : Deolu Akingbade
Publish date : 2024-06-09 21:49:30
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Author : soccernews
Publish date : 2024-06-09 21:50:11
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.