World Cup 2022 FIFA World Cup - Group F - (Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia)

[Zidane98]

Nah, these players were talented enough to go a lot further more regularly.

They still trot out Vertonghen & Alderwereld in defence. Yesterday's players are not going to cut it these days. I guess you can say Dendocker is reasonable.


2016-2018 was the peak of their golden generation. Hazard & KDB were in their prime. Vertonghen & Alderwereld were at Spurs and doing well.


If they are not careful there could be a big drop off.

 

[Jatz]

Who from Belgium won't be there in 4 years? Who's falling out of this 'golden generation'?

 

[Sozabarus]

Who from Belgium won't be there in 4 years? Who's falling out of this 'golden generation'?

Vertonghen, Alderweireld, De Bruyne, Lukaku, E. Hazard, T. Hazard, Witsel, Carrasco, Mertens, Meunier, Batshayui will all be mid or late 30’s by then.

 

[Jatz]

Vertonghen, Alderweireld, De Bruyne, Lukaku, E. Hazard, T. Hazard, Witsel, Carrasco, Mertens, Meunier, Batshayui will all be mid or late 30’s by then.

Ahh yep, fair enough. Completely forgot about some of those names.

 

[RPCB]

8 of Belgium’s players this World Cup squad are 25 or younger. One player is 26 and two players are 27 as the next youngest. Everyone else is 29 and older. Belgium’s squad will be largely different for the next World Cup and could be largely different for Euro 2024 in preparation for 2026.

 

[Frank Bunn]

Probably should have made the semi in 2016 when they lost to Wales but apart from that they’re about par. Other countries had good teams as well. I don’t think they were better than France in 2018 or Italy in 2021. It was just a ’golden generation’ by Belgium standards. I don’t think they were ever the strongest in the world that should have won a trophy.

At Euro 2020 (held in 2021) Belgium were ranked no. 1 in the world. Which was from an accumulation of results. But long term form doesn't necessarily translate into success in in cup competitions. One off games have elements of luck, decisions by officials, injury issues etc. In the QF Italy were the better team on the night but Lukaku missed an absolute sitter that could have changed everything and we wouldn't be having this conversation now.

Some of their older players will drop out but not all. At the next WC Lukaku will have just turned 33, Batshuayi will be 32. There's a few older players at this WC who are performing well. Messi (35), Alves (39), Thiago Silva (38), Giroud (36), Busquets (34), Modric (37), Pepe (39), Ronaldo (37).