Belgium’s ‘Golden Generation’ Chasing a Final World Cup Dream

Darwin, 10 june : Egypt’s Mohamed Salah and Belgium’s experienced stars Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Thibaut Courtois may be facing their last opportunity to achieve glory on football’s biggest stage. With that goal in mind, they are set to compete in Group G.

Joining Egypt and Belgium in Group G are New Zealand and Iran.

At the beginning of the 2010s, Belgium’s so-called “Golden Generation” emerged on the international football scene. Featuring stars such as Eden Hazard, Vincent Kompany, De Bruyne, Lukaku, and Courtois, the team was widely expected to usher in a new era for Belgian football. Their ambition was to win the country’s first major international trophy.

However, despite reaching the top of the FIFA rankings, that star-studded Belgian side’s greatest achievement was a third-place finish at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

From that generation, only the Napoli duo of De Bruyne and Lukaku remain, aged 34 and 33 respectively. Alongside them is 34-year-old Real Madrid goalkeeper Courtois. He returned to the national team last year after resolving a dispute with former coach Domenico Tedesco. That disagreement had led Courtois to miss Belgium’s Round of 16 match at UEFA Euro 2024.

The trio understand that the upcoming World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico may be their final opportunity to turn years of hope and expectation into silverware.

Yet the current Belgian squad is not short of talent. Players such as Amadou Onana, Charles De Ketelaere, Jérémy Doku, and Youri Tielemans could provide excellent support for their veteran teammates.

Meanwhile, Salah, Egypt’s second-highest goalscorer of all time, will turn 34 during the World Cup and is likely to enter the tournament with more modest expectations. Egypt has not won a major trophy since claiming its third consecutive Africa Cup of Nations title in 2010.

Although widely regarded as the greatest footballer in Egypt’s history, the Liverpool FC legend has never enjoyed major success with his national team.

His only previous World Cup appearance, at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, was hampered by a shoulder injury sustained before the tournament. This time, he arrives with fitness concerns after suffering a hamstring injury in late April, which cut short his farewell to Anfield.

Iran, meanwhile, will be making its fourth consecutive World Cup appearance. However, preparations for what would be the country’s first-ever qualification for the knockout stage have been overshadowed by one question: whether the team will be granted entry into the United States.

On the other hand, New Zealand secured its third World Cup qualification by defeating New Caledonia 3–0 in the final of the OFC qualifying tournament.