Belgium's Last Dance: The Golden Generation That Never Won
For a decade, Belgium had the most talented squad in world football. They never won anything. The 2026 World Cup is the final chapter — with new faces replacing legends and a window that's almost shut.
The Golden Generation That Came Close
From roughly 2014 to 2022, Belgium produced the most talented squad in the world by the FIFA rankings metric — they were ranked No.1 in the world for a record-breaking stretch. The players were extraordinary: De Bruyne, Hazard, Lukaku, Courtois, Mertens, Alderweireld, Kompany, Witsel. A generation that arrived fully formed and played together for years at the peak of club football.
Their World Cup record: Quarter-final (2014), Semi-final (2018), Round of 16 (2022).
The Semi-final in 2018 — their best finish — ended with a France 1–0 win on a counter-attack goal, with Belgium having dominated for 30 minutes of that second half. One break, one finish, and France went to the Final while Belgium flew home.
The golden generation didn't win. They came close, several times, in the specific way that comes close — not humiliated, not outclassed, just on the wrong side of one moment.
The Transition
By 2026, the original golden generation is gone or going.
Kevin De Bruyne — 34 years old in 2026. Still at Manchester City, still capable of extraordinary moments, but managing his body more carefully than at his peak. Whether he is the game-controlling force of 2018 is a genuine question. He remains Belgium's most important player while he's on the pitch.
Romelu Lukaku — 32, at Napoli or similar Serie A club. Still physical, still dangerous inside the box, but the explosive pace that made him so hard to handle in his prime has reduced. His hold-up play and finishing in tight areas remain elite.
Thibaut Courtois — 34, still Real Madrid's first choice if healthy. His injury history (ACL) is the biggest concern for Belgium. When Courtois is right, he is the best goalkeeper in the world. Belgium's defensive ceiling is directly connected to his fitness.
Eden Hazard — Retired from international football in 2023. The most naturally gifted player of his generation, undone by injuries. His absence from this squad is the clearest marker that the era has ended.
The New Belgium
The transition that Belgium's federation has been planning for five years is now the present reality.
Lois Openda (RB Leipzig) — The striker who has emerged as Belgium's most dangerous forward in the post-Lukaku era. 24 years old, prolific in the Bundesliga, physically explosive in a way that creates problems for high defensive lines. He is the future of Belgium's attack.
Amadou Onana (Aston Villa) — The defensive midfielder of enormous physical presence who sits behind De Bruyne and allows him to operate freely. Technically sound, reads the game well, the kind of player teams build systems around. 23 years old in 2026.
Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa) — The most technically complete central midfielder of the new generation. Passes cleanly, shoots well from distance, understands positioning instinctively.
Johan Bakayoko, Ansu Fati (if eligible) — The wide options being developed. Belgium's player pool from the Afro-Belgian generation continues to be one of Europe's richest.
This is a team in transition — older players still contributing, younger players taking on more of the load each cycle. The question is whether the transition produces a team that is greater than the sum of its generational parts.
Group G: A Genuine Path
Belgium are in Group G with Egypt, Iran, and New Zealand.
This is a favorable group. Egypt — with Mohamed Salah at 34 — have a famous player and a competitive squad. Iran are organized and physical. New Zealand qualified through the OFC pathway and are the group's most accessible opponent.
Belgium should win Group G. The real question is whether the squad holds together physically — De Bruyne's fitness, Courtois's fitness, Lukaku's form — through a group stage that takes place in Seattle (twice) and Vancouver.
Group G matches:
- Belgium vs Egypt: June 15, Lumen Field, Seattle
- Belgium vs Iran: June 21, SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles
- New Zealand vs Belgium: June 26, BC Place, Vancouver
The Mohamed Salah Question
Before moving on from Belgium's group, it's worth addressing Egypt and Mohamed Salah specifically.
Salah turns 34 just before the tournament. He has been Liverpool's best player for eight seasons and remains one of the most dangerous wide forwards in the world when fit and in rhythm. Egypt's 2026 squad is not the Egyptian team of previous eras — it is essentially Salah and nine other players who need to be organized to make the most of his contribution.
For Belgium, this creates a specific defensive problem: stopping Salah is a legitimate challenge that their right-back/wing-back combination needs to solve. If they don't solve it and Salah has a strong match, the Egypt-Belgium game is genuinely uncertain. If they do solve it, Belgium win comfortably.
The group turns on this match more than any other. Belgium vs Egypt on June 15 in Seattle is the first real test of whether this transition generation is ready.
How Far Can Belgium Go?
Floor: Quarter-final. Belgium's squad quality, even in transition, is sufficient to advance from Group G and beat one Round of 16 opponent.
Ceiling: Semi-final. If De Bruyne is healthy and at 80% of his peak, if Courtois makes two decisive saves in a knockout match, if Openda clicks into form — Belgium can beat a France or Spain on a given day. They've come close before. The mechanism is there.
Most likely outcome: Quarter-final exit against one of the tournament's elite teams. Belgium will be competitive. They won't win four consecutive knockout matches against the best squads in the world with a transitioning squad and aging key players.
The 2026 World Cup is the proper ending of an era. Whatever happens, watching De Bruyne in what is almost certainly his last tournament — threading a pass into space that nobody else saw, organizing Belgium's press with his movement — is one of football's genuine pleasures. The golden generation didn't win the thing. But they played beautiful football for a decade, and watching the last act is worth it.
The Match to Watch
Belgium vs Egypt, June 15, Lumen Field, Seattle, 12:00 PM PT.
Salah vs Courtois. De Bruyne vs Egypt's midfield. The match that sets the tone for Belgium's tournament in a city with a small but passionate Belgian community and a large Egyptian-American presence in the Pacific Northwest.
If Belgium win comfortably, the transitional squad has announced itself. If Egypt take points, the era's end has begun earlier than expected.
Either way, it's worth watching.