Belgium's golden generation bows out at World Cup quarterfinals

Belgium's "golden generation" has reached the end of its road without ever lifting the World Cup trophy. Once ranked No. 1 in the world by FIFA, the squad's journey at the North America World Cup ended in the quarterfinals.

Belgium fell 1-2 to Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals at Los Angeles Stadium in California on Saturday, ending their run at the last-eight stage for the first time in eight years. Once again, the side was turned back just short of a run at the title.

The defeat carried weight beyond a simple elimination. For goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (34, Real Madrid), striker Romelu Lukaku (33, Napoli), midfielder Kevin De Bruyne (35, Napoli) and Axel Witsel (37, Girona) — the core of Belgium's golden generation — this was in effect their final World Cup.

Courtois and De Bruyne started against Spain, while Lukaku and Witsel came on as second-half substitutes. Every key figure of the golden generation stepped onto the pitch, but none could change the outcome.

The decisive moment was painful. With the score level at 1-1, Courtois signaled discomfort in his left thigh in the 71st minute and was replaced by Senne Lammens. Then, in the 88th minute, Lammens failed to hold a long-range effort from Spain's Pau Cubarsí, and Mikel Merino tapped in the rebound. Belgium's last flame had gone out.

Belgium's golden generation emerged after the national team failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the 2010 tournament in South Africa. Alongside De Bruyne, Lukaku, Courtois and Witsel came Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, Mousa Dembélé, Marouane Fellaini, Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld — world-class players at virtually every position.

On paper, calling them title contenders felt entirely reasonable. Belgium announced their revival by reaching the quarterfinals at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and at the 2018 tournament in Russia they finished third — the best result in the country's World Cup history — after losing to France in the semifinals.

Their FIFA ranking soared accordingly. Having fallen as low as 71st in 2007, Belgium climbed to No. 1 in the world for the first time in 2015 and held that position from 2019 through 2021. By name and by squad depth, a major-tournament title seemed within reach at any moment.

But the trophy never came. Belgium crashed out in the group stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. At the European Championship, they reached only the quarterfinals in both 2016 and 2020, and at Euro 2024 they were eliminated in the round of 16 by France, 0-1.

The tournament began unsteadily for Belgium. They drew 1-1 with Egypt in their opening group match and could manage only a 0-0 draw against Iran in the second. Local media ran images of De Bruyne and Lukaku with digitally grayed hair and beards alongside the phrase "World Cup retirement home" — a blunt verdict that the golden generation had lost its shine.

Still, Belgium refused to fold. They topped their group by thrashing New Zealand 5-1 in the final group match, then edged Senegal 3-2 in the round of 32. A commanding 4-1 win over co-host United States in the round of 16 suggested a revival was underway. Spain, however, proved a step too far.

Generational transition has emerged as a common challenge for the tournament's stronger sides. Veteran-heavy squads have shown the value of experience, but as the knockout rounds have deepened, the speed and stamina of younger players have increasingly decided matches. Belgium's exit illustrated both the end of one era and the start of the next.

That does not mean Belgian football stands still. Charles De Ketelaere, who scored three goals in the tournament including the equalizer against Spain, along with Jérémy Doku, Nicolas Raskin, Maxim De Cuyper and Arthur Theate are all staking their claim as the next generation of leaders.

Courtois left with his head held high. In an interview on FIFA's website after the Spain match, he acknowledged the criticism his generation has long faced. "I know many people often criticize us — that we were the golden generation and never won anything," he said. "But we are Belgium. We are not England, Spain or France. We are a small country of fewer than 12 million people, but we have shown amazing things at major tournaments."

"We always competed," he added. "I think we can be proud of ourselves. I am convinced that if given the chance, Belgium will be in a position to go all out for the title. Young, talented players are coming through. The young players now will be even stronger in the coming years. I hope we will be stronger heading into the Euros or the next World Cup."

Witsel also looked ahead. "We may have started this tournament a little cautiously, but our level rose as the games went on. I think that is what we should take from this World Cup," he said. "I am not worried about us. There is a bright future ahead of us."