It's almost time for the World Cup. Before the tournament, we'll be previewing each of the top 15 teams by FIFA rankings that made the tournament. Why the top 15? Because that's how many we needed to do in order for the USMNT to make the cut. You can read all of our previews here.
The term "golden generation" is often misapplied, defined downwards to mean "a decent group of good players." In the case of Belgium, though, it was totally apt. How else could one fairly refer to Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois, Vincent Kompany, Mousa Dembélé, Axel Witsel, and the various Hazards that led Belgium to the quarterfinals in 2014 and the semifinals in 2018? This group came up together, fought for a fantastic result in Russia, only to travel to Qatar and eat shit.
Drawn into perhaps the last ever Group of Death, Belgium was laughed out of the tournament after the first two games. They didn't even score a goal until they'd been formally eliminated and their manager had resigned in shame, flailing through an embarrassing goalless draw against Croatia that saw Lukaku miss roughly 17,000 great chances. Four years later, the roster of aging greats will take up the mantle for the last time, hoping to redeem that failure and end their national service with heads held high.
Unlike the last three go-rounds, I don't think anyone really takes Belgium seriously as a threat to win the whole thing. Their roster is replete with old guys and young guys, and while they have a couple of fantastic in-between guys anchoring their midfield, it's not entirely clear who will score the goals in the games that matter. Manager Rudi Garcia has his hands full.
I think this makes Belgium a team worth cheering for. Why not hope that they can turn the clock alternately forward and backward? Why not put stock in redemption? This is the last time the remnants of the golden generation will represent the Red Devils, and though they never brought home either of the big trophies they contended for, it's been a great run.
Who Is Their Main Guy?
Kevin De Bruyne will turn 35 the day the knockout rounds begin. After a decade spent at Manchester City racking up trophies and distinguishing himself as perhaps the club's best-ever player, De Bruyne left England for Napoli last summer. Things have not gone super well. He spent several months nursing a hamstring injury and had to miss the end of the Serie A season after splitting his cheekbone in training. "I don't think I still love football as much as I did in the beginning," De Bruyne told Gazzetta dello Sport. "But I imagine it's normal after 30 years. Sometimes it happens that you lose a bit of interest, like in any job, I suppose."
Ennui, degradation of the body—these are the sorts of things that happen to aging stars entering their mid-30s, yet when he is on, De Bruyne is still an incredible player. He was one of the best passers in the world for a decade or so, and though he's lost that terrifying burst of speed that allowed him to get into extremely dangerous positions from which to make passes, he's still a fantastic set-up man. Belgium will have the strong duo of Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana behind him, giving him the freedom to try stuff.
Who Is Their Main Scoring Guy?
I'm going to cheat here and discuss Belgium's wing duo of Jérémy Doku and Leandro Trossard. The two players both had great seasons for the top two clubs in the Premier League, and though they both prefer to play on the left, Trossard is flexible and can get on the field in other positions. Doku can create serious problems for defenses with his speed and hesi moves. He is one of the best dribblers in the world, which is an especially useful trait to have in an international tournament, where the play is a little less organized. Letting Doku cook full backs is not a bad way to engineer goalscoring opportunities. He was not the most efficient finisher this season, and he couldn't always capitalize on his dribbles, but they are clearly important.
Trossard is much more well-rounded. He's a very creative passer, and a good finisher. He didn't always have a place in the Arsenal starting lineup, though he was always productive when he was out there. Whenever Trossard checked in, I would feel relief. Finally, a weird little guy who will try stuff.
Who Is Most Likely To Break Out?
While the most obvious candidate is the uncapped forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo, the attacking corps is pretty crowded, while Belgium's clear weak spot is defense. With Kompany, Thomas Vermaelen, Jan Vertonghen, and Toby Alderweireld all out to pasture, they'll have to start a very young backline. Garcia has rotated Zeno Debast, Koni De Winter, and Nathan Ngoy in at central defense alongside the veteran Arthur Theate, and one of the three youngsters will have to play a big role if the team is going to make a real run.
Of the trio, Debast seems best prepared. The 22-year-old already has 26 caps for Belgium, and his versatility and comfort on the ball make him the most reliable option Garcia has. Debast has played as a defensive midfielder at times, and it shows, as he's not scared to handle the ball and make incisive passes. He scored his first international goal against the U.S. a few months ago, and it was a beauty.
Who Is Most Likely To Eat Shit?
"Romelu has recovered, but he's out of shape," said Garcia. "I'm not sure he'll be able to start the matches. But he's our best striker, Belgium's all-time leading scorer." That tidily sums up the position of Romelu Lukaku, who probably shouldn't play at the World Cup but probably will. Lukaku amassed just 74 minutes in seven games for Napoli this season thanks to a hamstring injury, though he apparently played and scored in a closed-door friendly against a group of children on May 28, which I suppose counts as encouraging. I would love it if he could score at this World Cup and find redemption for the horror show against Croatia, and I hope I am wrong in choosing him as a shit-eating candidate. But I do not think unc has it anymore.
How Can They Win It All?
Five words: West Coast good-vibes lifestyle. Belgium's group-stage matches are against Egypt in Seattle, Iran in LA, and New Zealand in Vancouver. What could possibly be better for the short-term health of their old guys than some good times in the sun and the relaxed vibe over here on the West Coast? Replenished by sunshine, clean air, and the world's best produce, Belgium surge through the group stages. Incredibly, the Group G winner is not scheduled to leave the West Coast until the semifinals in Texas, which is spiritually the opposite of the West Coast, in that it sucks. But whatever, if Belgium makes it far enough to have to endure the punishment of playing in Arlington, that's a great World Cup.
